Both the dairy and suckler herds have recorded improvements in their average calving interval data.

Statistics released by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) to the Irish Farmers Journal show that the national average calving interval for the beef herd for 2015 is now at 407 while the average calving interval for the dairy herd is 392.

The beef figure has improved from 412 in 2014, while dairy figure improved by four days since 2014.

The beef calving interval suffered a major setback in 2014 following the fodder crisis and later spring of 2013, which delayed conception rates significantly. The average calving interval for the beef herd in 2013 was 395.

The beef herd is now producing, on average, 0.82 calves per cow per year. This means that for every 100 cows, 82 calves are born. This is still short of the target of a calf per cow per year, but an improvement of 0.79 in 2014. The top 15% of beef herds had a calving interval in 2015 of 363 days and produced exactly one calf per cow per year.

The national average percentage of heifers calving down at between 22 months and 26 months is 18%, with the top 15% of herds calving down 42% of heifers between 22 months and 26 months.

Dairy

The average calving interval for the dairy herd is now 392, with a calf per cow per year rate of 0.92. It was 396 in 2014.

There is a natural difference between the top 5% and the bottom 5% of dairy herds. The calving interval for the top 5% dairy herds is 361 days, with the bottom 5% having a calving interval of 451 days for 2015.

The average six-week calving rate for 2015 was 57%. The target for the industry is to have this figure at 70%. The top 5% of herds had a six-week calving rate of 85% and this drops to 19% for the bottom 5% of herds.

The top 5% of herds produced 1.02% calves per cow per year and the bottom 5% produced 0.68% calves per cow per year, more akin to the suckler herd.

According to the ICBF figures, the average percentage of heifers calving downbetween at between 22 and 24 months in 2015 was 56%. A full 100% of the top 5% of herds calved down heifers at between 22 and 24 months, while the bottom 5% of herds did not have any heifers calving down in that age range.