With the arrival of winter and cattle now being housed on farms in most parts of the country, farmers will be wondering what weight spring 2025-born calves (weanlings) should be at housing.

The 2025 grazing season will be remembered for all the right reasons on most farms across the country with 'textbook conditions' for grazing in most parts since early spring.

The good weather conditions for grazing is being seen in carcass weights this autumn, with increases seen in average carcass weights for the third quarter of this year after several years of average carcass-weight declines.

Early indications are suggesting calves have performed well at grass this year also - in cases where batches were not impacted by common issues such as summer scour in dairy-beef calves or other sicknesses.

Target weights

For suckler-bred steers, the aim is for a housing weight of 315kg in the first winter, according to Teagasc.

The target should be for these cattle to gain 0.5-0.6kg/day over the winter and the suckler-bred steers going to grass at 380kg the following spring.

For suckler-bred heifers, the aim is for a housing weight of 275-300kg at eight months-of-age gaining 0.6kg/day for a target turnout weight of 335-375kg at 12 months-of-age.

For dairy-beef heifers, the aim should be for a target housing weight of 220kg and 240kg for dairy-beef steers, according to Teagasc, with the same ADG over the first winter as suckler-bred stock.

For their first eight months of life, male suckler-bred calves should be gaining approximately 1.2kg/day.

Male dairy-beef calves should be averaging approximately 0.7kg/day on milk and 0.8kg/day on grass during their first summer.