Calf birth registrations continue to trend in a positive direction, with just shy of 40,000 more calves registered to the week ending 21 August 2026 compared with the corresponding period in 2025.

Birth registrations currently stand at 2,091,391 head, equating to an increase of 39,649.

The increase is split evenly between the dairy and suckler sectors, with the percentage increase much higher for beef cows.

The number of birth registrations to dairy dams stands at 1,494,968 head, up 19,748, or a 1.3% increase.

Beef cows

The increase in birth registrations to beef cows stand at 596,423 head, which equates to an increase of 19,931 or 3.5%.

The increase in birth registrations to suckler cows is the first time in a decade to record a positive trend, with the number of suckler cows on farms in Ireland falling by approximately 250,000 head during this period.

Figures from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation show that there has been an increase in the number of heifers calving down in suckler herds in 2026, while the level of culling in suckler herds has eased over the last year on the back of higher weanling sale values inserting some well-needed confidence into the sector.