The number of first-calving heifers and cows entering suckler herds hit a four-year high this spring and is running 9% ahead of 2024 levels.

The latest Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) figures show that 34,501 first-time calving beef heifers calved down between January and March this year.

This is the highest level of first-calvers since 2022, when the figure for the same three-month period was 38,611.

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In recent years the lowest level of first-calvers to calve down in the beef herd between January and March was in 2024, when 31,629 such births were recorded.

This year’s figure for first-calver births is 2,872 greater than the 2024 total, and is 2,320 higher than the 2025 figure.

Commenting on the first-calver numbers, Seán Coughlan, CEO of ICBF, said they were a further indication that there is renewed optimism in the suckler sector.

“We saw in the back end of last year that culling rates were falling in sucklers, and that is now followed in the spring of 2026 with the number of first-calved heifers up on the last couple of years,” he added.

The increased numbers of first-calvers in the suckler herd also tallies with the first lift in overall beef cow numbers in more than a decade.

Figures compiled by ICBF in association with the Department of Agriculture’s AIMS database show that there were 761,709 beef cows in the country on 31 March. This was an increase of 15,154 cows on the 2025 figure, or a 2% lift.

The lift in suckler numbers comes on the back of two great years for beef and weanling prices. Teagasc estimates that weanling prices rose on average by 70% from 2024 to 2025, while the average price for prime finished cattle was up 40%. This positivity in terms of prices and returns for both weanlings and beef cattle is clearly being reflected in the increased numbers of beef cows and first-time calvers.

“There is nobody saying that we can get back to one million suckler cows, but the numbers are turning,” said Pearse Kelly, head of drystock knowledge transfer with Teagasc.

“It doesn’t take a lot for things to turn around really. When you have 55,000 or so suckler farmers, all you need is lads to put one or two more cows in-calf and then you have 80,000 to 100,000 more beef calves,” he added. However, given that the average age profile of suckler farmers is north of 65, and the high cost of breeding heifers and suckler cows, Kelly said that the scope for a significant growth in numbers was limited.

“I don’t expect a big increase in the number of suckler herds. Most of the growth [in cow numbers] will have to come from existing herds,” he maintained.

Martina Harrington, manager with Teagasc’s Future Beef Programme, said there was great positivity with the farmers on the programme as a result of the increased prices and profitability.

“Last year was a stellar year for sucklers. You had phenomenal prices, steady costs, great weather, cows went back in calf early – it was just a supreme year,” Harrington explained.

The drop in beef and weanling prices over the last few months – added to the hike in fertiliser and diesel costs – had “taken the wind out of the lads sails a bit”, Harrington admitted.

However, she pointed out that prices were still “bouncing around areas never seen before”, with top quality finished bulls still making close to €3,000/hd.

Output on some of the farms in the programme had hit as high as €4,500/ha last year, Harrington said, with net margins on some of these high-performing units topping €1,400/ha.

The average net profit for the group had surged from €86/ha in 2023 to €975/ha in 2025.

This increased profitability was obviously feeding into the decision around numbers, with farmers taking advantage of the current high prices to add two to five to 10 additional cows, Harrington said.

However, insufficient housing facilities were catching some farmers and limiting their scope for further growth in terms of cow numbers, she said.