Breed trend data seen by the Irish Farmers Journal from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) shows Jersey-sired replacements from the dairy herd are down 17%.
Numbers are down from a peak of 41,000 Jersey-sired calves in 2019 to 34,000 Jersey calves born in 2020 to date. In 2016, there were 20,400 Jersey calf births.
By far, the overall majority of dairy births are Friesian calves - up from 608,000 to nearly 622,000 (up 2.2% on 2019).
Other coloured dairy breed births have remained the same at close to 11,000. These figures represent births from the dairy herd by breed up to 16 April 2020.
Beef breeds
On the beef breeds used on dairy cows, the Aubrac breed continues to increase, with calf numbers up by 55%, the highest percentage, from 2019, but overall Aubrac numbers remain relatively small at 7,300 calf births.
Of the beef breeds on dairy cows, by far the biggest is the Aberdeen Angus, which remains well out in front, with almost 210,000 calves born to date in 2020.
That’s up from 160,000 calves in 2016. Hereford calves are the next-biggest breed, with almost 150,000 births in 2020, up from 102,000 in 2016.
Limousin-sired calves are next at 38,000, up from 33,000 five years ago. Belgian Blue-sired calves out of dairy cows are fourth in ranking, with 19,800 calves registered, up from 16,600 calves in 2016. Simmentals come next at 15,300, up from 9,400 five years ago.
Read more
My Country Living: 'I absolutely love cows, I love everything to do with them'
Ringside comment: calf trade steady with small numbers
Camera at the mart: good grass cattle demand in Dowra
Breed trend data seen by the Irish Farmers Journal from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) shows Jersey-sired replacements from the dairy herd are down 17%.
Numbers are down from a peak of 41,000 Jersey-sired calves in 2019 to 34,000 Jersey calves born in 2020 to date. In 2016, there were 20,400 Jersey calf births.
By far, the overall majority of dairy births are Friesian calves - up from 608,000 to nearly 622,000 (up 2.2% on 2019).
Other coloured dairy breed births have remained the same at close to 11,000. These figures represent births from the dairy herd by breed up to 16 April 2020.
Beef breeds
On the beef breeds used on dairy cows, the Aubrac breed continues to increase, with calf numbers up by 55%, the highest percentage, from 2019, but overall Aubrac numbers remain relatively small at 7,300 calf births.
Of the beef breeds on dairy cows, by far the biggest is the Aberdeen Angus, which remains well out in front, with almost 210,000 calves born to date in 2020.
That’s up from 160,000 calves in 2016. Hereford calves are the next-biggest breed, with almost 150,000 births in 2020, up from 102,000 in 2016.
Limousin-sired calves are next at 38,000, up from 33,000 five years ago. Belgian Blue-sired calves out of dairy cows are fourth in ranking, with 19,800 calves registered, up from 16,600 calves in 2016. Simmentals come next at 15,300, up from 9,400 five years ago.
Read more
My Country Living: 'I absolutely love cows, I love everything to do with them'
Ringside comment: calf trade steady with small numbers
Camera at the mart: good grass cattle demand in Dowra
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