The peak calving season has become increasingly condensed in recent years with some 1.58m calves born in just a three month period from February to April 2024. This compares to 1.27m calves born in the corresponding period in 2014. The condensed nature of calving has also brought forward the traditional season for calf orders with tag suppliers currently working at close to peak activity.
The peak calving season has become increasingly condensed in recent years with some 1.58m calves born in just a three month period from February to April 2024. This compares to 1.27m calves born in the corresponding period in 2014.
The condensed nature of calving has also brought forward the traditional season for calf orders with tag suppliers currently working at close to peak activity.
Calf birth registration data published by the Department of Agriculture shows some interesting trends in terms of calf birth registrations by sire type. Data published for the period January to September shows there were almost 80,000 fewer calves sired by dairy bulls for the first nine months of 2024.
An analysis of figures shows the influence of increased adoption of sexed semen technologies. There were 56,251 fewer dairy males registered while the corresponding figure for females was 22,164 fewer births.
An analysis of beef sire usage quickly points to greater use of beef genetics in the dairy herd. There were 15,282 more calves sired to a beef bull in 2024 compared to 2023. This is despite beef birth registrations to suckler cows running in the region of 45,000 head lower.
The breakdown of births is 70% of calves (1,526,729) registered to a beef sire and 30% to a dairy (655,525) sire. The figures are flipped when looking at registrations to dam type.
The latest ICBF data up to the week ending 25 October 2024 shows 1,549,995 calves born to a dairy dam equating to 70% of total birth registrations of 2.2m head with beef births of 662,590 head obviously making up the remaining 30%.
Calf registrations are running 51,581 head lower than in 2024 with reduced births to beef dams accounting for the majority with approximately 45,000 fewer birth registrations. Dairy birth registrations are running below the previous year for the first time in almost a decade.
Trends in tag sales
Tag prices from the four approved suppliers are outlined in the table below. We also spoke with tag suppliers at last week’s Irish Farmers Journal Dairy Day to get an insight in to the latest trends experienced.
Greater interest in EID technology
Mullinahone Co-op’s Sarah Cooke says the company is witnessing greater interest in EID technology with farmers moving to capitalise on the fact that an increasing percentage of their herd is now electronically tagged. She explains that interest in electronic tag readers is building with a significant percentage of farmers now investing in EID readers.
The greatest preference is for mobile stick readers that can be used for management practices and recording. The company’s best-selling reading equipment is its AWR250 EID stick reader.
Its large colour display / keyboard and free Agrident software or ability to link up with other farm management software are outlined as popular features.
The reader also has Bluetooth compatibility, a read range of 25cm and memory of 100,000 EID tags. It retails at €720 including VAT with 10% off from Friday to Monday under black Friday offers.
Tag orders are progressing steadily with the National Ploughing Championships kicking off the season.
EID proving popular but
herd numbers decreasing
Joseph O’Callaghan, Datamars says the move to mandatory EID tagging has fast-tracked growing interest in the technology from a labour and management perspective.
Joseph commented that the technology can provide big potential, and has transformed the feeding of calves, but is slightly constrained by the fact that there is no universal system for placement of tag readers in fixed equipment. Such a system would streamline tag reading.
Another trend he is seeing in tag orders in 2024 is lower orders from some herds pointing to a reduction in numbers. We have seen calf births running behind the previous year for the first time in over a decade and going on tag orders this is likely to intensify in 2025.
On the sheep front the company’s TagFaster Automatic applicator allows up to six times faster tagging. The tagger allows 10 animals to be tagged with one strip of tags where double tagging and 20 where applying a single EID tag. Tag pins are covered for cleanliness and the ear is automatically released on tagging. It costs €45 including VAT.
Genotype tags in demand
Ursula Kelly of Cormac Tagging says the company has seen a surge in demand for their EID Geno Double Tag this November with many of their customers participating in the National Genotyping programme.
“Our company already holds over 40% of this market (NGP tags) and orders have been stronger. As we prepare for the calving season, we must build on the lessons learned last year to ensure a seamless process—from having tags on the farm to correct envelopes and postage, fast sample turnaround, and prompt issuing of birth registration cards”.
“This season, we’ve introduced a new feature: if funds are available in your account, resamples—whether for DNA retests or BVD —will be automatically dispatched with your consent meaning no more reviewing text messages.
“Additionally, ICBF has collaborated with all stakeholders to address the issues from last season, ensuring they are not repeated. I am confident that these improvements will make a real difference for farmers, who have invested their time and effort in driving this progress forward.”
Farmers better prepared
Stephen Murphy from AgriTags comments that farmers are now much more prepared not only with tag orders but also in terms of having equipment on hand for the calving and lambing season.
“Tag orders have been getting earlier in recent years and this is one of the busiest November periods we have had. The tighter nature of calving and lambing leaves less scope to leave things to the last minute and I think farmers are much better prepared now.
"We have also noticed an increase in sales of calving and lambing equipment through our AgriHealth business with systems now run in a much more streamlined manner.”
Tag subsidy scheme concludes
The Bovine EID Tag Subsidy Scheme introduced in 2022 concluded on 31 October 2024. The scheme subsidized the cost of new white EID tag sets at a rate of €1 per tag for the first 100 tags purchased within the lifetime of the scheme (18 October 2021 to 31 October 2024).
The payment for tags purchased in year three, ie from 1 November 2023 to 31 October 2024, will take place in November 2024. Farmers do not need to make an application to the scheme – they will automatically receive payment if they purchased tags in this timeframe and have not already exhausted the €100 in funding per herd.
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