As breeding season gets underway on dairy farms across Ireland, the goal for many farmers is straightforward - a trouble-free calving season and a valuable calf crop. 

Getting that balance right between calving ease and calf value is key. 

Increasingly, farmers are achieving that consistency by using a team of dairy-beef bulls, rather than relying on a single sire. 

According to Rose Goulding, Beef Programme Manager with the National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC), the approach is about removing risk from the system. 

She said: “Dairy farms today are highly efficient systems. 

“There isn’t room for surprises at calving.

"Our job at NCBC is to manage that risk on the farmer’s behalf - selecting bulls that consistently deliver high conception rates, calving ease, short gestation, and quality calves with real beef value.” 

Breeding decisions backed by data 

The dairy beef sires available through Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics are selected through the NCBC breeding programme - the largest dairy-beef breeding programme in Ireland. 

Every year, thousands of field fertility, calving and calf performance records are analysed to identify the bulls that work best in Irish dairy herds. 

Only the sires that consistently deliver across these traits make it into the dairy-beef catalogues. 

NCBC dairy-beef sires are unrivalled in the number of calving and carcass records behind them. This scale of data gives farmers confidence that these sires will deliver reliable results in the field. 

Today, nine of the 10 most-used beef sires in the dairy herd come from the NCBC programme, highlighting the strength of the breeding programme across breeds: 

Seven of the top 10 Angus on Dairy Beef Index (DBI) and Beef Sub Index (BSI);

Six of the top 10 Hereford on DBI;

Seven of the top 10 Charolais on DBI; 

Six of the top 10 Belgian Blue on gestation length; 

Four of the top five Limousin on gestation length. 

Source: ICBF 2026 

All are exclusively available through NCBC shareholders Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics. 

“We’re selecting bulls based on real farm performance,” Rose explained. 

“If a bull hasn’t proven himself in Irish conditions, he simply doesn’t make our tanks.” 

What buyers look for 

While calving ease is essential for dairy farmers, calf quality matters more than ever, with calf buyers paying a premium for strong, high CBV calves. 

According to NCBC beef specialist Murt Ryan, buyers make their decision quickly. 

“From my years in the mart, I know what sells,” Murt said. 

“That first impression counts.” 

For dairy farmers, producing calves that meet those expectations starts with the right genetics. 

The simple message for the 2026 breeding season 

As breeding decisions are made this spring, the advice from those working closely with dairy farmers is simple - build your breeding plan around a strong team of Premium Proven dairy-beef bulls. 

Using a team of bulls across the herd allows farmers to match the right bull to the right cow.

The level of calving ease needed for a maiden heifer or second calver is very different to what a mature cow can handle.

Heifers need the very easiest calving bulls, while stronger mature cows can handle sires with a higher Beef Sub Index, helping maximise the value of the calf crop while still keeping calving trouble-free. 

Short gestation bulls can then be used towards the end of the breeding season to help keep the calving pattern tight the following spring. 

With such a wide choice of bulls available today, there is no need to rely on a single sire to do everything.

Instead, farmers can use a team of proven bulls selected for field fertility, calving ease, gestation length and calf quality. 

Using a team of bulls also helps spread risk across the breeding season while producing a strong, valuable calf crop. 

As Murt Ryan explained: “No bull is perfect for every cow. Heifers need one job done, while mature cows can handle something different.

"When you’ve a good team of bulls to work with, you’ve far more control over the outcome.” 

Proven genetics farmers can trust 

A major strength of the NCBC breeding programme is the scale of investment behind it.

NCBC purchases and tests more dairy-beef bulls than any other programme in Ireland, continually evaluating performance for field fertility, calving ease, gestation length, calf quality and carcass traits. 

The result is a line-up of bulls that work for both sides of the system - easy-calving genetics for the dairy farmer and calves with real finishing value for the beef farmer. 

Because the programme is 100% Irish farmer-owned, the focus remains firmly on delivering genetics that work in the field. 

Supported by the scale, expertise and data behind the NCBC programme, farmers can breed with confidence that the calves arriving next spring will deliver where it matters most - easy calving in the yard and strong demand in the mart ring.