The average slaughter age for heifers increased slightly in 2025, while the average for male cattle declined to 2023 levels.

According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), the average age at slaughter for heifers in 2025 was 26.8 months.

The average age at slaughter for male cattle in 2025 was 25.9 months.

Responding to a query from Agriland on the average slaughter age for steers and heifers in 2025 and how these figures compare to previous years, DAFM sourced the data from the Animal Identification and Movement (AIM) system, which it says "does not categorise steers or heifers".

For the purposes of the request, the data grouped the average slaughter age of all male cattle over 12 months-of-age and up to 36 months-of-age.

The heifer data was derived from all female cattle over 12 months-of-age with no calf registered.

The table below details the average slaughter age of all male cattle under 36 months-of-age and all female cattle with no calf registered for 2023, 2024, and 2025:

As the data in the table above indicates, the average slaughter age for heifers has been increasing since 2023, while the average slaughter age for male cattle under 36 months-of-age increased in 2024 before declining in 2025 back to 2023 levels.

There has been a push at industry level in recent years to to reduce the average age at slaughter of cattle in an effort to help meet commitments under the Irish government's Climate Action Plan and its strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in agriculture by 25% from the reference year of 2018 to 2030.