A breakdown of suckler and dairy-bred calf births by county in 2023 has revealed which areas of the country have the highest percentage of calves from each sector.
There were 61,741 fewer calves born to beef dams in 2023 than in the previous year, according to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
The figures were released as part of DAFM’s Animal Identification and Movement System (AIMS) Bovine Statistics Report for 2023.
Calves born to dairy dams in 2023 rose by 19,265 head in the year, and made up 67% of the overall calves born last year.
In only nine of the 26 counties there were more calves born to beef dams in 2023. This number of counties has not changed since the publication of the last AIMS report.
According to the report, over 2.39 million calves were born in Ireland last year. The table below gives a breakdown of the composition of the calves born in each county.
Number of beef calves and dairy calves born in each county in 2023. For the purposes of this table, beef and dairy calves are defined by breed of dam:
County Beef calves % Beef Dairy calves %Dairy Total calves Carlow 11,607 36.9% 19,855 63.1% 31,459 Cavan 36,414 46.1% 42,546 53.9% 78,960 Clare 61,125 64.1% 34,237 35.9% 95,362 Cork 59,095 13.1% 391,334 86.9% 450,429 Donegal 32,868 58.5% 23,298 41.5% 56,166 Dublin 2,633 52.6% 2,369 47.4% 5,002 Galway 83,130 65% 44,719 35% 127,849 Kerry 37,285 27% 100,903 73% 138,188 Kildare 12,967 37.6% 21,513 62.4% 34,480 Kilkenny 24,020 18.5% 105,975 81.5% 129,995 Laois 24,443 30.6% 55,346 69.4% 79,789 Leitrim 21,814 91.4% 2,062 8.6% 23,876 Limerick 27,668 18.6% 120,864 81.4% 148,532 Longford 20,499 62.2% 12,460 37.8% 32,959 Louth 8,750 29.8% 20,588 70.2% 29,338 Mayo 60,667 77.4% 17,685 22.6% 78,352 Meath 25,235 28.3% 64,068 71.7% 89,303 Monaghan 25,952 39.5% 39,774 60.5% 65,726 Offaly 22,795 35.4% 41,612 64.6% 64,407 Roscommon 41,966 79.7% 10,688 20.3% 52,654 Sligo 24,802 74.3% 8,588 25.7% 33,390 Tipperary 42,038 18.2% 188,552 81.8% 230,590 Waterford 14,935 14% 91,561 86% 106,496 Westmeath 28,301 45.9% 33,405 54.1% 61,706 Wexford 23,652 21.5% 86,546 78.5% 110,198 Wicklow 17,057 39.5% 26,155 60.5% 43,212 Totals 791,715 33% 1,606,703 67% 2,398,418
As the table above indicates, the largest number of suckler calves was born in Co. Galway with 83,130 head born in the area.
The largest number of calves with dairy-breed dams was born in Co. Cork with 391,334 calves.
Looking at percentages, Co. Leitrim has the highest percentage of suckler calves born with 91.4%, followed by Co. Roscommon at 79.7% of all calves born in these counties originating from the suckler herd.
86.9% of all calves born in Co. Cork were from the dairy herd, followed by Co. Waterford with 86% of all calves being born to dairy breed cows.
The county with the lowest number of dairy calves born in it was Co. Leitrim followed by Co. Dublin, while the county with the lowest number of suckler calves born in it was Co. Dublin, followed by Co. Louth.