Herds that have recently completed weighing as part of BEEP 2019 will have received a weaning performance report in the post from ICBF. This management report calculates a weaning weight for each calf and a weaning efficiency percentage for each cow-calf pairing. The calf weaning weight is an adjusted 200-day weight. This adjustment is made to correct all calves to a standard age, which allows their performance to be compared. The cow weight is also adjusted to 200 days post-calving, so that all cows are corrected to the same period of lactation. The weaning efficiency percentage is then calculated by expressing the calf’s 200-day weight as a percentage of the cow weight (see Figure 1). Calf 200-day weight and weaning efficiency percentage are internationally recognised key performance indicators for suckler beef herds.

Figure 1: How the weaning efficiency percentage is calculated.

The first section of this report summarises the performance records of the cows and calves within your herd. The top and bottom five animals in the herd are compared for 200-day weight and weaning efficiency.

Figure 2: Example of section two of weaning performance report.

The main body of the report is displayed in Figure 2. In this section, each calf is listed, starting with the male and female calves.

The most relevant information in section two is the calf 200-day weight and cow weaning percentage, both of which are marked in red in Figure 2.

In the example below, both calves have the same weaning weight of 327kg and thus are likely to make a similar sale price. This may not result in the same margin for the farmer, due to the cost associated with the maintenance of the dams. Cows 580 and 449 are producing the same output, but as 449 is heavier, she is costing more to feed and is less efficient.

The weaning performance report aims to show how cows are performing in your herd, in order to aid breeding and management decisions. For more information on the weaning performance report, contact the ICBF HerdPlus Team on 023-882 0452 or email query@icbf.com.

Results

The BEEP scheme brought about the largest on-farm weighing campaign of beef cattle ever in Ireland. In total, over 350,000 cows and 350,000 weanlings have been weighed to-date through the scheme. Table 1 shows some summary statistics from the scheme so far. Both commercial and pedigree animals are included in the table.

  • 7 September 2019 was Ireland’s peak beef on-farm weighing day last year, with 569 herds weighing 18,086 animals on that day.
  • 72kg is the range across all the main beef breeds in terms of cow weight.
  • Shorthorn had the lightest average cow weight at 623kg.
  • Charolais had the best growth in weanlings, with a 200-day weanling efficiency percentage of 48.3%
  • Don’t risk it

    ICBF can tell from the sex, age, breed, number of calvings and ancestry of an animal if its weight is within normal biological expectations. In other words, they know if the weight has been guessed!

    The spread of weights across a group of animals is also looked at. It’s highly unusual that, for example, a herd of 20 suckler cows of varying ages, breeds and backgrounds would all weigh within 5kg of each other on the same day. There are statistical limits of probability around such data – in other words, how possible is it that such data is genuine. The idea that putting in a low weight for a cow will automatically turn it into a five-star animal is incorrect. Questionable data is not used in the €uro-Star calculations for those animals and is excluded from breed statistics. It is crucial that the quality of data in the ICBF database is kept at an extremely high standard – otherwise the resulting €uro-Stars will be giving a false reading of how a bloodline is expected to perform. Only a very small percentage of data is unreliable. The vast majority was accurately recorded and is extremely valuable from a genetic progress and environmental viewpoint.