Over recent years, there has been a greater focus on quality of beef coming from the dairy herd. This is to ensure the sustainability of both the beef and dairy sectors, at a time where the quantity of beef originating from the dairy herd has surpassed that of the suckler herd.

New technologies will fast-track the beef potential from the dairy herd and also equip beef farmers with more information to select suitable animals for their beef production system.

Firstly, breeding of dairy females is mainly focused on performance traits, such as milk production and fertility, which contribute the largest economic value to dairy farmers.

EBI

Nevertheless, new updates in the Economic Breeding Index (EBI) have improved the beef sub-index to put harsher penalties on extremely poor beef cow merit, while rewarding animals that finish at an earlier age.

The number of dairy-sired males will reduce due to the increased use and availability of sexed semen, with advice to dairy farmers now being to use sexed semen to breed dairy replacements on their younger high-genetic merit females. This will allow higher usage of beef sires within the dairy herd throughout the breeding season, maximising the potential to improve calf quality.

DBI

The Dairy Beef Index (DBI) is a breeding index similar to the EBI, which aids dairy farmers in selecting beef bulls that are good for both beef and calving traits. The DBI is divided into a calving and beef sub-index, to ensure farmers can identify high-DBI sires that are balanced for both.

Since the introduction of the DBI (2019), beef bulls used on dairy cows are improving for both beef and calving traits. To maximise the potential of beef quality of the calf crop, dairy farmers should use Sire Advice, available through ICBF, which will minimise calving difficulty and maximise beef potential for beef matings.

CBV

The final tool to aid dairy farmers, as well as beef farmers, is the Commercial Beef Value (CBV). The CBV is a trading tool to help beef farmers to purchase calves with higher beef performance. Calves are usually sold based on breed and weight, with little knowledge of potential performance. For example, two Angus calves of the same weight and age at sale will usually be valued at a similar price, but there can be up to €200 difference in the profit potential of these animals. Dairy farmers using good beef genetics should get rewarded with more saleable calves, while beef farmers can have greater confidence in the calves they are buying, thus providing greater demand.

On average, dairy farmers are recommended to use a beef sire with at least €80 beef sub-index on the DBI to produce highly ranked CBV calves, but if herds have very low beef merit cows, they should aim to use higher beef merit sires.