Heavier Carcasses, Better Conformation and Finished Earlier!
The ICBF Terminal Index ranks sires on profit potential when producing suckler bred calves for beef. The index includes calving difficulty, gestation, calf mortality, docility, feed intake, age at finish and carcass merit (see figure 1).
This analysis shows the difference in carcass output between 1versus 5-star sires on Terminal index. Table 1 shows the performance of suckler bred steers finished in 2024 by star rating of their sire. The results show that animals sired by 5-star Terminal sires were finished 16 days earlier than progeny from 1-star sires. They had 70kg heavier carcass weight, a half a grade better conformation, the same fat score and were worth €405 (22%) more in carcass value.
Table 2 to 5. show the performance at a breed level when ranked within-breed on Terminal stars. Taking the Charolais as an example, the difference in Terminal Index between a 5-star versus a 1-star sire is €65 (i.e. €156 vs €90) yet the realised difference in carcass value in 2024 was €111 in favour of the 5-star sired animals. This difference in carcass value was due to a 17kg higher carcass weight average with a half a grade better conformation score. All this was achieved with over a month (i.e. 36 days) earlier finishing age. Similar differences in carcass value are also apparent for the other breeds Angus (€154), Hereford (€163), Limousin (€104) and Simmental (€175).
Key Message: Farmers can be assured that progeny from 5-star Terminal Index sires will yield greater profitability and sustainability by producing heavier carcasses with better conformation while reaching finishing weight at a younger age.