Calf slaughterings are up 16pc to 29,495hd as per the Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Calf Working Group comment at an industry meeting in the week of 9 May, 2022.
Although calves should not be sold until they are at least 10 days old, this figure is an alarming increase from calf slaughterings in 2018. The practice among a minority of dairy farmers is a risk for the industry and can damage its reputation. Because there are no animal welfare controls in place to curb this practice, one source is calling for a complete ban except in case of emergency.
Furthermore, outcomes from a recent ICBF dairy farmer survey shared at the gathering note that calf quality is not a priority for farmers looking to improve their herds until 2027. In addition, the number of calves being exported is up by 20pc and there has been a substantial decline in calf mortality (-16pc) since 2018. What’s more, dairy births (3.5pc) are increasing while suckler births are decreasing (-4.1pc).
The ICBF noted that carcass weight for age in suckler-beef bred steers (+1.2kg/year) was positive. Statistics for dairy beef (-0.5kg/yr) and dairy-bred steers (-0.7kg/yr) show a decline. Age at slaughter is much lower.