As part of the National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme (DBWS) that was launched by the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) in recent weeks, dairy farmers that apply to participate in the scheme are required to use high Dairy Beef Index sires to receive payment. The aim of the scheme is to increase the beef merit of calves being produced from the dairy herd.
Changes have been implemented to both the ICBF Animal Search and the Stock Bull Finder in order to help dairy and beef farmers to trade scheme eligible stock bulls and to identify beef AI sires that meet the scheme eligibility criteria.
Both stock bulls and AI sires must meet the following to be classed as an eligible sire:
- Be genotyped (have a genomic evaluation)
- Be minimum of 3-star rating on the Dairy Beef Index (DBI) within and/or across breed
- Be minimum of 3-star rating on the Beef Sub-Index of the DBI within and/or across breed.
For calves born in 2025 sired by a stock bull, the stock bull must have been genotyped at least 3-stars on the DBI and Beef Sub-Index since moving into the herd.
For calves born in 2025 sired by an AI sire, it must have been genotyped at least 3-stars on the DBI and Beef Sub-Index at some point in 2024, as this is when the dam will have been served.
The eligibility status of stock bulls and AI bulls can be viewed on the ICBF Animal Search. There will also be a screen available in the coming weeks for farmers to display the eligibility status of stock bulls currently in their herd.
View the DBWS Terms and Conditions here.