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Analysis of suckler cow reproductive performance and its contribution to financial performance on Irish beef farms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 October 2017

R. F. Taylor ,
M. McGee ,
P. Crosson  and
A. K. Kelly
R. F. Taylor
Affiliation:
Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
M. McGee
Affiliation:
Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
P. Crosson
Affiliation:
Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Teagasc, Grange, Dunsany, Co. Meath, Ireland
A. K. Kelly*
Affiliation:
School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
*
†E-mail: alan.kelly@ucd.ie
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyse cow reproductive performance on 37 Irish suckler beef farms and determine how reproductive efficiency influences farm profitability. The main reproductive factors associated with gross output value per livestock unit (GO/LU) were average age at first calving (r=−0.19, P<0.01) and number of months with a calving (r=−0.15, P<0.05). A 1 month increase in average age at first calving was shown to reduce GO/LU by €14 across suckler farms. Average age at first calving was positively correlated with calving interval (r=0.21, P<0.001) and the number of months with a calving (r=0.18, P<0.01). Number of months with a calving was also positively correlated with calf mortality (r=0.21, P<0.01). However, these relationships between reproductive variables had no statistically significant impact on farm financial performance. It is therefore concluded that additional analysis at animal level is required to determine key reproductive indicators contributing to farm profitability.

Keywords

reproductive efficiencyherd levelprofitabilitycalving rategross output
Type
Full Paper
Information
Advances in Animal Biosciences , Volume 8 , Supplement s1: Improving the quality and sustainability of beef production , October 2017 , pp. s64 - s66
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2017 

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