Ninety per cent of cattle weights recorded under the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) are not being used in any ICBF genetic evaluations, the Irish Farmers Journal can reveal.

ICBF technician-recorded weight data is being used, which accounts for about 10% of weights.

CEO of ICBF Seán Coughlan has confirmed that farmer-recorded SCEP weights are currently being withheld from genetic evaluations. The ICBF says that all data has to pass through a series of quality control checks before it is eligible for inclusion in genetic evaluations.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Coughlan said that the main purpose of the SCEP weighing process is to allow farmers assess the weaning efficiency of their cows.

“All weights received appear on the farmer’s weaning efficiency reports, which are used by farmers to assist in their decision-making. In relation to the inclusion of the SCEP weights in the evaluations, the herdbooks requested that only technician-recorded weights be included in the evaluations until sufficient research on the validity of the records was complete.

“The ICBF agreed with this approach. There has been a significant body of ongoing work on the validation of weights and that research will be presented in the new year.

“Until then, we will continue with the agreed approach which is to only include SCEP weights in the evaluations where they were recorded by a technician.”

Seamus Nagle, chair of the Pedigree Breeders Council, said: “From a farmer’s view, if we are recording all the information we can with weights and other information being sent to ICBF, it’s very frustrating to find out that this information isn’t currently being used in an animal’s genetic evaluation.

“Cow liveweight is being heralded as an important trait in the future, but yet ICBF isn’t using the actual weights for individual animals to determine their index and using a predicted weight instead of actual weights”.