Suckler beef systems for profitable production

Peter Doyle Mark McGee Martina Harrington Edwin Carroll Chloe Higgins Cliona Ryan James Mullane Paul Crosson

Suckler beef production in Ireland encompasses a wide range of production systems operating at varying stocking rates, although most farms are stocked at less than 130 kg organic nitrogen (N)/hectare (ha). This paper examines the key performance targets and indicators that determine efficiency, financial and environmental (greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions) performance of suckler beef systems, and summarises ongoing suckler beef research at Teagasc, Grange to further increase technical efficiency in grass-based systems.

Performance of national-average, demonstration and research suckler herds

A summary of the primary key performance indicators (KPIs) across the national-average suckler beef farm, 23 demonstration farms participating in the Future Beef programme (Further information: Future Beef 2026: demonstrating the path to profitable sustainable suckler farming), and current Teagasc, Grange suckler beef systems research herds is outlined in Table 1. Despite having a 48% higher stocking rate than the national-average farm, research farms use only 20 kg N/ha (16 units N/acre) more inorganic fertiliser. This is largely due to the incorporation of clover, which helps maintain high levels of herbage production and utilisation (~10 tonnes DM/ha) with low fertiliser N input of 75 kg N/ha. For most KPIs, the Future Beef farms perform at levels intermediate between the research farms and the national-average farm. Profitability of Future Beef farms (net margin €964/ha) was €683/ha greater than the projected national-average farm, but lower than what was achieved at research level (net margin €1400/ha) in 2025.

Table 1. Key performance indicators on national-average suckler farms, Future Beef farms and suckler beef systems research herds

Key profit drivers in suckler beef systems

The Grange Beef Systems Model was used to identify the KPIs in the ‘standard’ 19-month heifer/23-month steer suckler calf-to-beef research system in Teagasc, Grange (note: this is a different production system than the current Derrypatrick research system). In the analysis, a spring-calving grass-based system (cows calving in February, March and April with a mean calving date of 12 March) was assumed with cows and calves turned out to pasture in mid-March (or immediately post-calving in the case of April-calvers). Weaning weight was 318 kg and 294 kg for male and female calves, respectively. Calves were assumed to be weaned at the end of October and retained for finishing at 23 months for steers (i.e. ‘first’ winter, ‘second’ grazing season and ‘second’ winter) and 19 months for heifers (i.e. ‘first’ winter and ‘second’ grazing season). Replacement heifers were produced within the herd, which meant that the number of heifer weanlings available for sale was reduced. A 50-ha (124 acres) farm area was assumed and N fertiliser, in the form of ‘protected’ urea, was applied at a rate of 145 kg N/ha. This level of N application and forage production resulted in a stocking rate of approximately 170 kg organic N/ha and provided sufficient forage to support a 70-cow suckler calf-to-beef system. Given the variation in efficiencies and finishing age, the number of cows varied accordingly depending on the scenario. Seven scenarios were compared with this baseline and the land area remained fixed at 50 ha for each scenario (Table 2).

1. Herbage utilisation: Decreasing herbage utilisation (8.9 7.9 t DM/ha), resulting in similar individual animal performance but lower stocking rate (eight less cow units i.e. cow + calf + yearling).
2. Grazing season length: Decreasing grazing season length (260 240 days grazing average for cows and followers).
3. Clover: Incorporating white (grazing) and red (silage) clover, which reduces N fertiliser requirement from 145 to 75 kg N/ha, whilst retaining the same herbage production and animal numbers, and increasing individual carcass weight by 10 kg (additional costs of incorporating clover into the sward and bloat oil are included).
4. Replacement rate: Increasing heifer replacement rate from 16 to 20%, whilst retaining the same number of cows calving.
5. Calving rate: Decrease calving rate from 0.99 to 0.90, resulting in correspondingly fewer progeny to sell.
6. Age at first calving: Increasing age at first calving from 24 to 36 months, which results in having five fewer cows calving as the heifers must be carried for an extra year.
7. Daily live weight gain: Reducing progeny live weight gain from 0.95 to 0.82 kg/day resulting in both a lighter carcass weight (395 356 kg for steers; 327 vs. 304 kg for heifers) and older age at finish (24 vs. 23 months for steers; 20 vs. 19 months for heifers).

Table 2. Effect of decreasing herbage utilisation, decreasing grazing season length, incorporating clover, increasing heifer replacement rate, decreasing calving rate, increasing age of first calving and decreasing progeny live weight gain on the net margin and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a spring-calving suckler calf-to-beef (base) system.

Results showed that failure to achieve the KPIs can have major consequences for both profitability and environmental efficiency (Table 2). Depending on individual situations and preference, profitability can be assessed on a per ha or per cow basis. When expressed on a per ha basis (best indicator of farm income potential or total farm profit, as land area is usually the limiting factor) age at first calving, herbage utilisation and clover incorporation had the biggest impacts on farm net margin, in that order. When expressed as net margin per cow, progeny daily live weight gain, calving rate and clover incorporation had the most significant impacts, sequentially. For greenhouse gas emissions intensity (kg CO₂eq./kg carcass), age at first calving had the greatest impact, followed by clover incorporation and calving rate. These findings highlight the importance of good reproductive, animal growth and low-cost grassland production in profitable and environmentally efficient suckler systems.

Suckler beef systems profit and greenhouse gas emissions analysis

The profitability and GHG emissions from a suckler calf-to-weanling system and four suckler calf-to-beef finishing systems (Table 3) were evaluated using the Grange Beef Systems Model outlined above. In the assumptions, the calf-to-weaning system fed comparatively more concentrates pre-weaning than the calf-to-beef scenario to achieve higher weaning weights of 351 and 327 kg for males and heifers, respectively. Systems that finished cattle at older ages resulted in fewer animals sold on the farm i.e. land area remained fixed, but animal numbers changed. Price assumptions are outlined in the footnote of Table 2.

In the scenarios evaluated, selling weanlings was more profitable (€1,344/ha) than retaining them and finishing the heifers and the male as steers (€1140-1152/ha) (Table 3). When the ‘top-25%’ weanling price (€5.08/kg) was obtained, the net margin increased to €1,606/ha. The estimated annual cost of keeping a cow-calf unit within the calf-to-weaning system was €995/cow unit, which can be itemised into feed (€525), fixed costs (€219), depreciation (€135), vet + breeding (€116). This excluded labour and land charge.

Consistent with previous analysis, 16-month bull production had a greater profit (€1,509/ha) than the steer finishing systems. However, this system is the most sensitive to a change in concentrate and carcass price and producers need to have an arrangement with their beef processor if they are going to produce young bulls. Profitability per ha was relatively similar across the three calf-to-beef steer production systems, averaging €1,144. However, on a per cow unit basis, profitability was greatest for 27-month steer system (€902/cow unit) and lowest for the 20-month steer system (€762/cow unit) – albeit less cows are carried in the 27-month steer system.

Greenhouse gas emissions per kg carcass weight was lowest for the bull beef system (15.6 kg CO₂/kg carcass weight) and greatest for the 27-month steer system (19.0 kg CO₂/kg carcass weight) (Table 3).

For comparative purposes, the profitability of different suckler beef production systems was also examined for the Future Beef programme participants. Within the Future Beef programme, seven participants sold live progeny as weanlings or stores, seven finished all progeny within a young bull beef system, and five participants finished male progeny in a steer beef system. Based on the profit monitors conducted in 2025, the average net margin/ha (excl. direct payments) for the system categories were: calf-to-weaning/store = €1,066/ha, calf-to-bull beef = €1,068/ha and calf-to-steer beef = €606/ha.

Table 3. A summary of the profitability and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of a suckler calf-to-weanling and four contrasting suckler calf-to-beef production systems based on a 50-hectare (ha) farm

The Derrypatrick herd

The Derrypatrick herd is a suckler calf-to-beef research herd at Teagasc Grange. The current Derrypatrick research project herd entails “developing more sustainable suckler beef systems in the context of grass-clover swards and animal genetics”. The objectives of this project, using an 80-cow Limousin × Holstein-Friesian spring-calving (mean calving date 5 March) herd stocked at 2.2 livestock units/ha (170 kg organic N/ha), are to increase farm profitability and decrease environmental footprint through reducing:

1. Animal finishing age.
2. Concentrate input.
3. Nitrogen fertiliser input.

In this regard, the research project will validate and quantify the differences in farm systems performance between grass-only (i.e. perennial ryegrass swards for grazing and silage) and grass-clover (perennial ryegrass-white clover swards for grazing and silage and perennial ryegrass-white and -red clover swards for silage) pasture systems (Further information: Producing beef from grass-forage-based systems) and the role of sire genetics (Aberdeen Angus and Charolais terminal sires) in helping to achieve the above objectives.

The aim of the systems experiment was also to evaluate the feasibility of finishing suckler progeny from pasture, without concentrate supplementation, at the end of the second grazing season (i.e. ~19-20 months of age) and therefore avoid the expensive ‘second’ indoor winter. Challenges with this pasture-finishing system include achieving sufficient carcass weight and an adequate carcass fat score (≥ 2+) at 20 months of age. In this regard, specific sires were chosen with a focus on ‘weight-for-age’ and ‘fleshing ability’ (high carcass fat score breeding value) with the aim being to produce carcasses with ‘improved’ fat cover at young ages. This is based on previous research at Teagasc, Grange which showed that Charolais crossbred steers with high carcass fat estimated breeding values (EBV) had a greater carcass fat score than their low-fat EBV counterparts (Further information: Growing-finishing beef cattle: national performance data and growth targets). Within breed, the Aberdeen Angus and Charolais sires were chosen under the following selection criteria for cows:

• Calving difficulty < 8 % (easy calving)
• Carcass weight PTA: 5-star (high carcass weight)
• Age to slaughter PTA: 4- and 5-star (early slaughter age)
• Carcass fat PTA: 1- and 2-star (improved ‘fleshing’ ability)
• Reliability of key traits: >70 % (proven bulls)

An example of some of the sires used to date include:

• Aberdeen Angus: BJG, AA4089, AA4323, AA4638, AA4640, AA8559
• Charolais: CH2216, CH4251, CH4562, CH6271, CH6298, CH6310

To date two production cycles have been completed with final cycle on-going.

Derrypatrick farm performance

Overall, the progeny received 241 kg concentrates from pre-weaning to the end of the first winter with no concentrates fed thereafter. All progeny (Aberdeen Angus and Charolais) were finished off pasture-only on the same day at the end of the grazing season. Sire breed maturity had no impact on calf weaning weight, turnout weight to pasture in spring, finishing live weight and consequently lifetime daily live weight gain. However, kill-out proportion (-1.5 % units) and conformation score (-1.0, scale 1-15) were lower, and fat score was higher (+1.9, scale 1-15), for early- compared to late-maturing, but there was no statistical difference in carcass weight between the breeds (Table 4). It should be noted that there is still one production cycle remaining to be finished. Analysis of animal dry matter intake and enteric methane emissions is on-going.

A profit monitor was completed based on the 2025 financial year. Results show a net margin of €1230 and €1400/ha for the grass-only and grass-clover system, respectively. Average cost per cow unit (cow, calf and yearling) was €1550, with a net profit per cow unit of €1000 and €1137 on the grass-only and grass-clover systems, respectively. The estimated cost per kg of carcass was €4.22 and €3.97/kg, respectively. In the 2025 financial year, carcass price was €7.40/kg, protected urea was €530/tonne, and concentrates was €385/tonne on this farm.

Table 4. The impact of sire breed maturity (early-maturing, EM; late-maturing, LM) on carcass performance

Commercial Beef Value (CBV)

Commercial Beef Value (CBV) is a tool that quantifies the genetic potential of cattle destined for beef production. The CBV is expressed as a euro (€) value, with higher values indicating animals with superior genetic merit for profitable beef production. It comprises of traits that are of economic importance to improve carcass value and decrease feed costs, including, carcass weight (35%), feed intake (24%), factory specification (12%), conformation (11%), finishing age (10%), docility (1%) and carbon (7%).

Does CBV work?

The CBV was evaluated using two independent datasets. The first dataset comprised of 234 suckler-bred steers and heifers (Aberdeen Angus-, Charolais- and Limousin-sired) from the Teagasc Derrypatrick herd. Animals were slaughtered at approximately 19 months of age (regardless of fat cover) between 2022 and 2025. Analysis showed that each €1 increase in CBV increased carcass value by €1.59 per head (assuming a carcass base price of €6.50/kg). Moving from 1-star to 5-star animals increased individual carcass weight (+57 kg), conformation (+2.2, scale 1-15) and value (+ €407 @ €6.50/kg base price).

The second dataset consisted of 169 suckler-bred young bulls finished across eight farms participating in the Future Beef programme in 2025 (Table 5). The bulls were predominantly (85%) sired by late-maturing breeds (Charolais, Limousin and Simmental), with 87% finished before 16 months of age. Analysis showed that each €1 increase in CBV increased carcass value by €1.62 per head (assuming a carcass base price of €6.50/kg).

Table 5. The impact of CBV on suckler bull carcass traits and value in the Future Beef programme

Moving from 2-star (there were no 1-star animals in this dataset) animals to 5-star animals increased carcass weight by 32 kg, carcass conformation by 0.8 units and increased carcass value by €296 per head at actual sale prices (Table 5). Importantly, age at finish and carcass fat score did not differ between the star groups.

Across both datasets, higher-CBV cattle consistently delivered heavier carcasses and greater carcass value. While feed intake was not measured in these analyses, feed efficiency is included in the CBV index and may further improve profitability. CBV should be used when selecting animals destined for beef production rather than breeding replacements. Higher CBV progeny can be produced by selecting Terminal Index sires with a high carcass weight (~+30 kg) and conformation (+2.0) PTA, and low feed intake (negative figure) and age at finish (negative figure) PTA but should be ‘balanced’ for calving difficulty.

The Maternal herd

The Maternal herd is an 80-cow spring-calving suckler herd at Teagasc, Grange comprised of Limousin × Simmental and Simmental × Limousin cows. The objective of the recently commenced research trial within the Maternal herd is to investigate the influence of sire breed type (early-maturing vs. late-maturing) and early-life calf nutrition (pasture-only vs. pasture + concentrate supplementation) on the age at which heifers reach puberty. Calves are assigned to their early-life nutrition treatment from 4 to 8 months of age. At eight months of age, heifer calves are routinely blood sampled to measure progesterone levels to determine age at puberty and scanned to check for oestrous cycle. The aim is to increase the animal’s productive life, in particular to decrease age at first calving to 24 months, while simultaneously reducing cow lifetime GHG emissions and emissions intensity of beef from the suckler herd. Replacement heifers are retained for breeding from the herd, and their calving age is recorded. Female sexed semen is used on all cows and heifers to obtain as many heifers as possible for the experiment. Limousin, Simmental and Angus sires are used on the cows, while Limousin and Angus sires are used on the heifers. No results are available yet as it is the first year of the project.

Enteric methane emissions

Enteric methane emissions accounts for 65% of suckler calf-to-beef emissions. However, Ireland is currently relying on international coefficients to estimate the quantity of enteric methane produced from our national suckler herd. Therefore, as part of the RumenVentory project, funded by the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, enteric methane emissions are being measured in all classes of suckler animals including cows, replacement heifers, calves and growing-finishing steers and heifers across a range of diets in both the Derrypatrick and Maternal herds. This data will be compiled to calculate the true enteric methane emissions from our national suckler herd.

Conclusions

Suckler beef systems in Ireland vary considerably in structure and performance, with important implications for both profitability and greenhouse gas emissions. While recent volatility in cattle prices has increased the financial risk associated with some systems, achieving high levels of technical performance remains essential. Age at first calving, herbage utilisation and clover incorporation were identified as the key drivers of net margin per hectare, while age at first calving, calving rate and clover incorporation had the greatest influence on emissions intensity. Focusing on these primary KPIs will improve both the profitability and environmental sustainability of suckler beef production.

Compiled and edited by Mark McGee and Paul Crosson, Teagasc, Grange Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, and first published in BEEF2026 – Driving Sustainable Performance, additional reading from BEEF2026 is available here.