Table: Beef grades and carcass weights from Newford suckler herd
The Newford Suckler Breeding Open Day took place on the suckler demonstration farm near Athleague, Co. Roscommon, on Wednesday, April 22.
The event saw an interesting range of information presented to the crowds of farmers and industry personnel in attendance.
The theme of the event was 'Breeding efficient and profitable sucklers'.
It was outlined at the event that in 2025, the 90-cow suckler farm generated a net profit of €1,015/cow or €1,166/ha by bringing all its progeny through to beef.
The range of speakers at the event from both Teagasc and Dawn Meats acknowledged that the high beef prices last year greatly attributed to these record figures for the farm but also explained how the focus on performance and efficiency helped to drive up profitability.
The table below details the average beef performance of the heifers slaughtered from the Newford Farm from 2019-2025:
| Heifers | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conformation score | R= | R= | R= | R- | R= | R= | R= |
| Fat score | 3= | 3= | 3- | 3= | 3+ | 3= | 3= |
| Carcass weight (kg) | 299 | 299 | 311 | 296 | 320 | 306 | 331 |
| Live weight (kg) | 569 | 570 | 583 | 564 | 588 | 594 | 624 |
| Kill out % | 53% | 52% | 53% | 52% | 54% | 51% | 53% |
| Age at slaughter (months/days) | 20m/ 599d | 20m/ 609d | 20m/ 605d | <18m/ 544d | 19.5m/ 587d | 21.1m/ 642d | 20.7m/ 630d |
| Value (€) | 1,117 | 1,188 | 1,396 | 1,507 | 1,602 | 1,753 | 2,554 |
| Price/kg (€) | 3.74 | 3.97 | 4.49 | 5.06 | 5.01 | 5.72 | 7.70 |
As can be seen in the table above, 2025 was a record year on the farm for heifer carcass-weights and price/kg.
The good weather last year coupled with the strong beef markets made it a memorable year for many beef systems across the country.
Heifer conformation and fat score has been consistent on the farm over the years at 'R=3='.
The table below details the average beef performance of the steers slaughtered from the Newford Farm from 2019-2025:
| Steers | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conformation Score | R+ | R= | R= | R= | R= | R= | R= |
| Fat Score | 3= | 3- | 3- | 3- | 2+ | 3- | 3= |
| Carcass Weight (kg) | 350 | 350 | 357 | 358 | 365 | 353 | 372 |
| Live Weight (kg) | 642 | 647 | 663 | 653 | 675 | 670 | 695 |
| Kill Out % | 55% | 54% | 54% | 55% | 54% | 53% | 54% |
| Age at Slaughter (Months) | 21 | 20 | 21 | 20.5 | 21.6 | 21.5 | 21.8 |
| Age at Slaughter (Days) | — | 618 | 641 | 622 | 658 | 655 | 664 |
| Value (€) | 1,315 | 1,389 | 1,611 | 1,776 | 1,905 | 2,035 | 2,797 |
| Price/kg (€) | 3.76 | 3.96 | 4.51 | 4.96 | 5.22 | 5.77 | 7.50 |
Similar to the heifers, average steer carcass-weights reached record highs on the farm in 2025 hitting 372kg.
The average steer age at slaughter has remained under 22 months for the past seven years.
The average cull cow carcass on the farm grades 'O+3+' and weighs 311kg.
It was highlighted at the event that the suckler-beef progeny produced on the farm "consistently meet factory carcass specification", which delivers several "key benefits" to the system.
It was also said producing cattle that fall within target carcass weight, fat cover and conformation specifications "maximises carcass value, avoids price penalties, and improves predictability of returns for the farm".
