Table: Key 2025 suckler herd calving statistics by county
The 2025 Beef Calving Statistics report from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) provides suckler calving statistics on a county-by-county basis from July 2024 to June 2025.
The data provided includes the number of suckler herds per county, the average number of suckler females calved per herd, the average calving interval, and the percentage of calves sired by AI bulls in each county.
The data also highlighted that just 19% of suckler heifers that calved between July 2024 and June 2025 were aged from 22-26 months at their first calving.
The table below provides key suckler herd calving data from July 2024 to June 2025 on a county-by-county basis:
| County | Number of suckler herds | Average number of females calved/herd | Calving interval (days) | AI Sire % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlow | 438 | 23.1 | 399 | 16 |
| Cavan | 1,983 | 16.6 | 399 | 20 |
| Clare | 3,094 | 18.6 | 399 | 19 |
| Cork | 2,615 | 18.2 | 398 | 21 |
| Donegal | 2,529 | 12.2 | 402 | 24 |
| Dublin | 117 | 20 | 413 | 16 |
| Galway | 4,836 | 16.2 | 398 | 19 |
| Kerry | 2,052 | 15.6 | 402 | 19 |
| Kildare | 533 | 20.8 | 401 | 11 |
| Kilkenny | 699 | 27.5 | 400 | 11 |
| Laois | 826 | 25.5 | 405 | 14 |
| Leitrim | 1,755 | 11.9 | 412 | 25 |
| Limerick | 1,211 | 18.7 | 399 | 14 |
| Longford | 1,043 | 18.1 | 401 | 17 |
| Louth | 335 | 20.1 | 397 | 15 |
| Mayo | 4,292 | 13.6 | 396 | 23 |
| Meath | 925 | 22.7 | 399 | 15 |
| Monaghan | 1,315 | 16.6 | 402 | 15 |
| Offaly | 843 | 22.7 | 403 | 18 |
| Roscommon | 2,374 | 16.7 | 402 | 24 |
| Sligo | 1,714 | 14 | 401 | 33 |
| Tipperary | 1,425 | 23.6 | 395 | 14 |
| Waterford | 446 | 26.2 | 395 | 12 |
| Westmeath | 1,106 | 22.9 | 399 | 17 |
| Wexford | 758 | 24.3 | 399 | 11 |
| Wicklow | 595 | 22.6 | 399 | 9 |
| National Avg. | 1,533 | 20 | 400 | 18% |
As can be seen from the table above, Galway has the highest number of suckler herds at 4,836 followed by Mayo, Clare, Cork and Donegal.
The county with the highest number of females calved per suckler herd is Kilkenny at 27.5. The national average is 20 suckler cows calved/herd/year.
Sligo is the county with the highest percentage of suckler-bred calves sired by artificial insemination (AI) bulls at 33% followed by Leitrim at 25%.
