17 January 2025

4 reasons why farmers should use the Commercial Beef Value

The Commercial Beef Value (CBV) is an invaluable tool for cattle producers who want to make informed decisions when purchasing calves or dairy farmers looking to enhance calf sales, Advisor on the DairyBeef 500 Programme, Gordon Peppard tells us more.

There are several key advantages to using the CBV, it provides essential information on the genetic merit of the calves. All genotyped calves will have both parentage and breed verified and, when traded through marts, will have their CBVs displayed.

Higher CBV animals are delivering higher value carcass than lower CBV animals. The CBV provides a data-driven approach that minimises risk and maximises returns. Whether you’re buying calves at a mart, from farm to farm, or via an online platform, incorporating the CBV into your decision-making process can help you build a more profitable and efficient cattle operation in the long term.

Also read: What is the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) and where can it be found

1). Improved decision making

One of the primary advantages of using CBV is that it allows cattle producers to make more informed decisions. When you have an accurate estimate of the potential of the calf to grow and perform over their lifetime, you can compare different animals more effectively. Rather than relying solely on visual appearance at a young age and on goodwill, CBV provides a data-driven approach to choosing animals with the best likelihood of generating profits.

2). Reducing the risk

Purchasing calves without a clear understanding of their market value can be risky. If you buy animals with low growth potential or poor feed conversion rates, you may incur losses when it comes time to sell them. CBV helps mitigate this risk by giving you a better understanding of the animal’s future performance in terms of growth rate, feed efficiency, and meeting market specifications.

3). Enhanced profitability

By using CBV to identify high-value calves, producers can optimise their herd’s genetic makeup and improve overall profitability. A calf with a high CBV is more likely to perform well, reach slaughter weight efficiently, and command a higher market price. Over time, buying and breeding cattle with higher CBV can help improve the overall profitability of a cattle operation.

4). Enhanced calf sales

For dairy farmers, breeding good CBV calves is essential. By choosing bulls with good traits on the Dairy Beef Index to generate higher CBVs calves, breeders can improve the genetic quality of their non-dairy replacement animals over time. This can lead to more saleable calves, and repeat customers with confidence that your animal will perform for them.

Guaranteed calf sales with repeat customers has many benefits. It can help reduce stress at busy calving times, by assisting with reducing labour required, reducing the need for additional facilities and thereby taking the disease pressure off of the remaining heifer calves. With nitrates regulations, the opportunity to move calves from the farm as soon as possible is also another added bonus.

DairyBeef 500 webinar

On January 16, the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 team hosted a webinar on ‘Sourcing and finishing dairy beef animals in 2025’.

On this webinar, Chris Daly, ICBF demonstrated how beef farmers can ensure that they are buying a calf with good genetics that has the ability to grow and perform on their farm. When sourcing calves from the dairy herd this spring and using the ICBF HerdPlus tool, Chris outlined the key figures in the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) of the calves to look out for.

A short video of DairyBeef 500 Programme farmer, James O’Sullivan from West Cork, also outlined his farming system and how using the CBV when sourcing his calves has helped him improve carcass weights and thereby profitability on his farm.

Teagasc Nutrition Specialist, Aisling Claffey outlined the key factors in finishing steers and heifers out of the shed this spring in order to maximise intake and improve animal performance, to ensure optimum carcass weights at the correct fat score.

And, finally, an open and interactive panel discussion, with Chris, James and Aisling and chaired by Teagasc DairyBeef500 Programme Manager Alan Dillon, addressed questions posed by the audience on the night.

Watch a recording of the Sourcing and finishing dairy beef animals in 2025’ webinar below:

Find out more about the Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Programme here.