Selecting the right calf genetics and enquiring about cow type and sire indexes are key components to running a profitable calf-to-beef system.
One of the key objectives of the Advantage Beef Programme is to demonstrate to farmers how different genetics (even within breeds) can substantially influence final carcass weights of a dairy-beef animal and therefore have an impact on farm profitability.
There are a number of ways farmers can identify the most suitable calves for their system and ABP Food Group’s agri-sustainability manager Stephen Connolly recently outlined some ways that farmers can improve the genetics of the calves they buy in.
Buying calves
Firstly, Connolly noted that farmers who reared calves last year can check the tags of the best and worst-performing progeny in the group.
Often the best-performing calves come from similar herds; the same can also be said for the poorest performing calves.
From there, farmers can look up their Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) Herd Plus accounts to see if their best cattle have a sire recorded.
If a sire is recorded, the bull’s Dairy Beef Index (DBI) can be viewed, as well as the carcass figure and beef sub-index.
“This will help farmers to decide which herds they want to deal with in 2022 and more importantly, which herds they don’t want to deal with,” Connolly said.
Questions to ask
The ABP agri sustainability manager said the best advice when buying calves direct from a dairy farm is to ask the dairy farmer two questions: ‘What is the sire of the calves?’ and ‘can I view the cows?’
Once the cows have been seen and the sire figures have been examined, a farmer can get a better picture of the beef potential of the calves, and therefore what the calves are worth.
Once the calves appear healthy and well fed, the farmer can agree a price from there.
“Farmers should not be afraid to walk out of a farm if the calves are of poor beef genetic merit,” Connolly said.
“Remember the day you buy is the day you sell, and you will have to look at the animals for the next 20-24 months.
“There are a broad range of indexes and values for calves, cows and sires. These can be very confusing for both dairy and beef farmers.
“Anyone who needs help should reach out to either their adviser, artificial insemination (AI) company, ICBF or a member of the Advantage Beef Programme team and we would be happy to help,” Connolly explained.
Breeding dairy-beef for 2024
Connolly reminded farmers that the 2023 breeding season is just around the corner, and that decisions made in the next few months “will decide the quality of the calf crop in 2024”.
“More integration is needed between the dairy and beef industry to produce a more sustainable calf,” he said.
“The use of more high-DBI beef bulls that are balanced for calving and beef traits are crucial to produce a more marketable calf for the dairy farmer while at the same time producing a calf for the beef farmer that leaves a return to ensure the beef farmer can make a margin and continue to purchase calves into the future.
“Farmers buying calves direct from a dairy farm should ask to meet the dairy farmer who you source your calves from to discuss what sires were used in 2022, and the potential to use more suitable beef bulls for the 2023 breeding season.”