10 April 2024

Getting your head around what bulls and females are now eligible for SCEP

The recent changes to EuroStar indices, where the economic value of the traits were updated and a cost for carbon incorporated, has caused bull, heifer and cow EuroStar values to move.

Aidan Murray, Teagasc Beef Specialist, explains how farmers can assess the eligibility of animals – whether in their herd or soon to be purchased – while highlighting which animals are eligible.

These changes may not be an issue if the animal has moved up to within the 4 or 5 star categories. However, for many herds where animals have fallen out of these categories, there is concern as to what animals will now be eligible for SCEP.

Pedigree males / males with progeny

For bulls born before 28 November 2023

If, at the time of purchase into a SCEP herd, a male is not 4 or 5-star on the Replacement and/or Terminal Index – within and/or across breed – ICBF will look at the September 2023 evaluation. If the bull had a genomic evaluation in September 2023 and was 4 or 5-star on Replacement and/or Terminal Index – within and/or across breed – then the bull will be deemed eligible in the SCEP herd and will meet requirement 1 of SCEP, i.e. 80% of progeny must be sired by a genotyped 4 or 5-star bull.

This is completely separate to requirement 2 (eligible females) and a bull qualifying on this allowance will not necessarily breed females that will meet requirement 2 (genotyped 4 or 5-star females).

A bull could rise to a 4-star at some point in the herd, in which case he will be eligible in his own right and the September 2023 evaluation is no longer applicable.

Bulls born on/after 28 November 2023

There is no change. Males have to qualify on the genomic evaluation at the time of moving into the herd, which has always been the case.

With bull sales in full flow, beef pedigree catalogues have been updated for males and females ahead of upcoming sales. Where the animal is not currently 4 or 5-star but was in September 2023 and had a genomic evaluation, it will be shown in the comment box at the bottom of the catalogue page.

Replacement females

The next crucial date for the Replacement Female Requirement in SCEP is 31 October 2025, where you will need a minimum of 65% of your reference number of genotyped 4 or 5-star females.

Females born before 28 November 2023

If, at the time of purchase into a SCEP herd, a female is not 4 or 5-star on the Replacement Index – within and/or across breed – the September 2023 evaluation will be examined.

If she had a genomic evaluation in September 2023 and was 4 or 5-star on the Replacement Index – within and/or across breed – then she will be deemed eligible in the new herd and will be eligible to count towards requirement 2 of SCEP, i.e. eligible genotyped 4 or 5-star females in the herd on 31 Oct 2025 and 2027.

Even if the animal was sold on to another SCEP herd and was still not 4 or 5-star at this point, ICBF will still go back to September 2023. So the eligibility status stays with the animal for life. It does not mean that her daughters will be automatically eligible though. They will have to qualify in their own right.

Females born on or after 28 November 2023

If an animal does not hit at least 4-stars on the Replacement Index on any genomic evaluation, ICBF will look at the parents’ evaluations in September 2023. If the dam had a genomic evaluation and was 3, 4 or 5-stars and the sire had a genomic evaluation and was 4 or 5-stars in September 2023 on the Replacement Index, then the daughter will be deemed eligible – even if she never hits 4-stars in her own right.

If this animal is traded then the eligibility status will go with it, i.e. it will be eligible in the next herd. She may rise to be a 4-star at some point in the herd, in which case she will be eligible in her own right and the parent’s September 2023 evaluations are no longer applicable. It does not mean that her daughters will be automatically eligible though. They will have to qualify in their own right.

These rules will remain in place until the end of SCEP. Because it is very confusing, the only sure fire way of checking if an animal in your herd is eligible for SCEP is to check yourself or get your advisor to check on the ICBF SCEP Eligibility Profile report. See example below in figure 1.

Figure 1: Eligibility profile from the ICBF website