Dairy cows have accounted for almost 80% of the factory cull cow kill in the first six months of this year.

According to Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) figures, 167,635 cows were slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories in the first six months of 2026.

Of these, 131,606 were cull dairy cows and 36,029 were cull suckler cows.

This indicates that 78.5% or almost 80% of the cows slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories in the first half of this year were dairy breeds while 21.5% of the cows slaughtered were suckler-bred.

In the first half of 2025, almost 195,000 cows were slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories.

Of these, 49,500 or 25.5% were suckler bred and 145,000 or 74.5% were dairy cows.

Cows at local authority approved abattoirs

While the largest majority of the DAFM-approved factory cow kill is dairy cows, local authority (LA)-approved abattoirs or the smaller outlets process predominantly suckler or beef breed cows, albeit at smaller numbers.

In the first half of this year, almost 5,800 cows were slaughtered at LA-approved factories.

Of these, 5,063 or 87.6% were suckler cows and 718 or 12.4% were dairy cows.

In the first half of 2025, over 12,600 cows were slaughtered at LA-approved abattoirs.

Of these, almost, 10,800 or 85% were beef breeds and almost 1,900 or 15% were dairy breeds.