Table 3.

Recorded number of calves entering (by year, type and dam age) and cows exiting (by year, type and method of exit) the national Irish cattle herd, during 2003 to 2006

	2003	2004	2005	2006
1. Recorded calf entries
1a. All dams
Dairy	1,064,861	1,066,342	1,049,014	1,038,520
Beef	1,079,819	1,104,834	1,101,051	1,092,742
Total	2,144,680	2,171,176	2,150,065	2,131,262
1b. Heifer dams only
Dairy	220,114	223,974	235,477	235,395
(Average dam calving age [months])	[29.3]	[28.8]	[28.6]	[28.8]
Beef	187,167	190,517	187,504	190,528
(Average dam calving age [months])	[31.3]	[31.2]	[31]	[31]
Total	407,281	414,491	422,981	425,923
(Average dam calving age [months])	[30.2]	[29.9]	[29.7]	[29.8]
2. Recorded cow exits
2a. Slaughter
Dairy	170,216	189,150	189,020	192,653
(%)	(16.0%)	(17.7%)	(18.0%)	(18.6%)
Beef	158,946	154,922	157,281	170,522
(%)	(14.7%)	(14.0%)	(14.3%)	(15.6%)
Total	329,162	344,072	346,301	363,175
(%)	(15.3%)	(15.8%)	(16.1%)	(17.0%)
2b. On-farm deaths
Dairy	34,949	36,676	40,092	45,548
(%)	(3.3%)	(3.4%)	(3.8%)	(4.4%)
Beef	34,342	33,684	36,234	40,973
(%)	(3.2%)	(3.0%)	(3.3%)	(3.7%)
Total	69,291	70,360	76,326	86,521
(On-farm mortality rate, %)	(3.2%)	(3.2%)	(3.5%)	(4.1%)
2c. Slaughter and on-farm deaths
Dairy	205,165	225,826	229,112	238,201
(Cow culling rate, %)	(19.3%)	(21.2%)	(21.8%)	(22.9%)
[Difference between cow exits and heifer entries]	14,949	-1,852	6,365	-2,806
Beef	193,288	188,606	193,515	211,495
(Cow culling rate, %)	(17.9%)	(17.1%)	(17.6%)	(19.4%)
[Difference between total cow exits and heifer entries]	-6,121	1,911	-6,011	-20,967
Total	398,453	414,432	422,627	449,696
(Cow culling rate, %)	(18.6%)	(19.1%)	(19.7%)	(21.1%)
[Difference between total cow exits and heifer entries]	8,828	59	354	-23,773