FutureBeef Webinar: Breeding the Ideal Cow for Your System

For the third year running, the Teagasc Future Beef Programme is hosting a series of practical Breeding Webinars for 2026.

Join us on Tuesday, 31 March at 8pm for the second webinar in the Building a More Profitable Suckler Herd series. This webinar will focus on Breeding the Ideal Cow for Your System.

Click here to register for the webinars!

Chair: Chris Daly, Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF)

Speakers: 

• Rose Goulding, National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC)
• Donnachadh McCarthy, Future Beef Programme participant who produces bulls for finishing
• John Barry, Future Beef Programme participant and weanling producer

This webinar will focus on how farmers can develop a cow that truly works within their system – one that is fertile, docile, milky, efficient to maintain and capable of producing a high-value calf each year. As you know, the cow contributes 50% of the genetics of every calf born, so breeding decisions are central to long-term her performance.

The evening will also explore how different breeding goals suit different production systems, including:

• Under-16-month bull systems producing –  ~400kg carcasses at 15–16 months
• Weanling production systems –  targeting a 400kg, well-shaped weanling at 9–10 months

We are particularly keen for farmers to gain a better understanding of:

•  Matching cows to the appropriate bull
•  Selecting replacement heifers
•  Interpreting star ratings and herd performance data
•  The role of myostatin and other breeding considerations
•  Analyse herd figures and select a stock bull.

Find out more about the upcoming webinars as part of the series here