Dairy
Milk constituents will fluctuate at this time of the year, but it is still important to know if you herd is performing at the optimum level.
According to data from ICBF, over 1.3 million calves have been registered to dairy dams 12 weeks on from February 1.
The total number of Irish calves registered so far in 2026 is set to surpass the 1.6 million mark this week.
The total number of Irish calves registered in 2026 is running more 21,000 head above last years figures as of Friday, April 17.
Beef
Despite spring calving on the wind down, the total number of Irish calves registered in 2026 is barrelling towards 1.5 million.
The average prices paid for Belgian Blue-sired calves bred off dairy cows held more firm than traditional sire breeds last week,
According to ICBF, the top 75 bulls on the ICBF Dairy Active Bull List are all Irish-bred for the first time in the services history.
The total figure for calves registered to beef dams has now surpassed the 200,000 mark, according to the ICBF database.
The total number of Irish calves registered in 2026 is running more 36,000 head above last year as of Friday, March 27.
New data from over 145,000 slaughtered animals shows that top‑ranked Commercial Beef Value (CBV) cattle return €120-€400 more per head.
The total number of Irish calves registered in 2026 has surpassed the the 1 million mark, with 86% of calves registered to dairy farms.
As farmers sit down to pick out the bull team for the 2026 breeding season, they may be wondering what were the top dairy sire in 2025?
N.Ireland
Momentum continues to build behind the preparations being made to launch a new Bovine Genetics Project (BGP) in Northern Ireland.
The total number of Irish calves registered in 2026 is set to surpass the 1 million mark this week according to ICBF.
Over 500,000 calf samples have now been received by the national genotyping lab, as the programme rolls past its tenth week in 2026.
A 29-day old Belgian-Bule-sired heifer calf secured an impressive sale price of €2,090 at GVM Carrigallen Mart, Co. Leitrim.
There have been over 850,000 calves registered in Ireland to date this year, according to latest figures from the ICBF.
The total number of calf registrations in 2026 is running 37,400 head above last year as of Friday, February 27.
As February just about wraps up, there is an influx of calves hitting the ground that need to be registered and genotyped.
The EuroStar Index has been "very emotive" but has also been "extremely effective" in getting farmers engaged, ICBF CEO Sean Coughlan said.
An Post and the ICBF talked to Agriland about complaints related to delays in the National Genotyping Programme.
The price of Friesian cattle, and other breeds, has grown significantly year-on-year according to the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation.
Calf registrations have reached 177,726 head for 2026, with 88,271 registered in the past week based on ICBF data.
