While the majority of farmers have heard of the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) by now, most are still familiarising themselves with it and may not be fully aware what’s considered a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ CBV for a calf.
While tools such as the CBV and Dairy Beef Index (DBI) are useful and will be key components in improving the genetic beef merit of calves from the dairy herd, it is important that farmers are aware of how these values and indexes are formed and structured.
It is also important that farmers can differentiate good, average and poor values.
As farmers who are rearing calves for beef production will know all too well, there can be massive variation in the beef merit of calves, even within breed.
Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) research has shown that calves bred from higher genetic merit beef bulls have higher carcass weights, better conformation and are more likely to meet factory specifications than calves bred from lower genetic merit beef bulls.
The table below shows the bottom, top and average CBV by breed:
When farmers are buying calves, the nicest or strongest calf in the pen, doesn’t always make the best beef animal.
Similarly, the most expensive calf at purchase doesn’t always make the most money in the factory.
The CBV values above will give farmers a better indication of the beef potential of the calves they are buying.
While higher CBV calves have a better genetic potential to perform better as beef cattle than low CBV calves, farmers should remember that over-priced genetics is also not viable.
Speaking at a recent breeding event held in the Corrin Event Centre in Co. Cork, Teagasc’s Dairy Beef 500 programme coordinator, Alan Dillon, said:
“It is one thing to buy a good calf or buy a poor calf, it is what you pay for them – we can make money out of any calf if they are bought for the right price.”
Dillon said a Friesian bull at €50, can leave as much as a continental brought at €250 or €300, depending on where they lie in terms of CBV.