An additional 94,000 Friesian dairy cows and an extra 6,712 Jersey cows calved down in 2015, marking the end of milk quotas and the start of dairy expansion. The figures are contained in the Department of Agriculture’s AIMS Bovine Statistics Report for 2015.
Of the additional 107,000 dairy cows that calved last year, the vast majority were put in-calf to beef sires. Over 80,158 of the calves were sired by a beef breed, of which 43,795 were Angus, 29,580 were Hereford and 5,317 were Limousin. There was smaller increases for Charolais and Belgian Blue.
The number of calves born to a Friesian dam and sire was 684,523 head. That was up on the previous year but, nonetheless, within the range of recent years.
However, one clear trend can be seen – a continuing increase in dairy cows in Co Cork.
In recent years, the number of dairy cows having calves in the county were:
2015: 329,481 2014: 303,4872013: 292,6042012: 287,4392011: 283,400Sucklers
An additional 30,000 non-dairy cows also calved last year compared with 2014, and the majority of these were beef breeds. Among the beef breeds to record growth there were:
13,424 additional births to Limousin cows. 4,306 additional births to Aberdeen Angus cows. 2,594 to Charolais. 1,500 to Belgian Blue. 1,000 additional to Salers. For beef dams, when it came to sire selection, Limousin overtook Charolais with 353,993 births compared with 349,515 births respectively. The two breeds dominated, with the third-placed Angus registering just 97,728 births.
Marts
With more cattle in the country last year, the number of cattle movements increased. But reflecting the growth in smartphones and internet advertising, most of the increase was in farm-to-farm cattle movements.
There were an extra 20,000 movements approximately through marts. There were an extra 127,000 cattle movements farm-to-farm.Farm-to-farm sales accounted for 41% of cattle movements in 2015, up from 39% in each of the preceding three years. Knackeries
There were 50 licensed knackeries accepting fallen animals in 2015. That was down from the 52 collectors licensed in 2014 but up on the 44 in 2011 and 2012.
Last year there were 184 local authority abattoirs, 33 factories and 87 livestock marts. Five years ago, in 2011, there were 195 abattoirs, 31 factories and 87 marts.
An additional 94,000 Friesian dairy cows and an extra 6,712 Jersey cows calved down in 2015, marking the end of milk quotas and the start of dairy expansion. The figures are contained in the Department of Agriculture’s AIMS Bovine Statistics Report for 2015.
Of the additional 107,000 dairy cows that calved last year, the vast majority were put in-calf to beef sires. Over 80,158 of the calves were sired by a beef breed, of which 43,795 were Angus, 29,580 were Hereford and 5,317 were Limousin. There was smaller increases for Charolais and Belgian Blue.
The number of calves born to a Friesian dam and sire was 684,523 head. That was up on the previous year but, nonetheless, within the range of recent years.
However, one clear trend can be seen – a continuing increase in dairy cows in Co Cork.
In recent years, the number of dairy cows having calves in the county were:
2015: 329,481 2014: 303,4872013: 292,6042012: 287,4392011: 283,400Sucklers
An additional 30,000 non-dairy cows also calved last year compared with 2014, and the majority of these were beef breeds. Among the beef breeds to record growth there were:
13,424 additional births to Limousin cows. 4,306 additional births to Aberdeen Angus cows. 2,594 to Charolais. 1,500 to Belgian Blue. 1,000 additional to Salers. For beef dams, when it came to sire selection, Limousin overtook Charolais with 353,993 births compared with 349,515 births respectively. The two breeds dominated, with the third-placed Angus registering just 97,728 births.
Marts
With more cattle in the country last year, the number of cattle movements increased. But reflecting the growth in smartphones and internet advertising, most of the increase was in farm-to-farm cattle movements.
There were an extra 20,000 movements approximately through marts. There were an extra 127,000 cattle movements farm-to-farm.Farm-to-farm sales accounted for 41% of cattle movements in 2015, up from 39% in each of the preceding three years. Knackeries
There were 50 licensed knackeries accepting fallen animals in 2015. That was down from the 52 collectors licensed in 2014 but up on the 44 in 2011 and 2012.
Last year there were 184 local authority abattoirs, 33 factories and 87 livestock marts. Five years ago, in 2011, there were 195 abattoirs, 31 factories and 87 marts. 
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