Content developed in collaboration with Agriland Media as part of the ICBF & Agriland 2025 Commercial Beef Value Series.
Video 3, in the 2025 CBV series brings us to the ICBF Progeny Test Centre in Tully, Co. Kildare where Niall Kilrane from ICBF, gives an insight into the value of the commercial beef value (CBV) in predicting actual performance.
Tully is a world-leading centre and a vital cog in the wheel of capturing important phenotypic data on AI-sired (artificial insemination) commercial animals.
The CBV was developed to focus purely on traits of importance to beef finishers, such as:
- Carcass weight;
- Carcass conformation;
- Feed intake;
- Feed efficiency.
“The CBV is a tool to allow beef finishers to make much more informed purchasing decisions in relation to the animals that they intend to finish in their farm systems,” Kilrane said.
In the region of 600 animals are processed through the facility per year. One of the most important traits relating to profitable beef finishing systems is feed intake.
The Insentec system in Tully allows ICBF to record each individual animal’s feed intake over the course of their test period which is usually approximately 70 days.
This data is then used to impact the evaluation of the sires of the animals.
“The progeny that arrive in Tully are all sired by high index new, young AI sires. It is important that we have a robust and structured programme in place to allow us to capture data all through their lives,” Kilrane explained.
“It starts with on-farm data on their herds of birth, which is followed through to the data that we capture here in the Tully Research Centre.”
Over the course of several years clear trends have emerged which show that high commercial beef value animals are likely to be much more feed-efficient than low CBV animals.
This real animal data plays a vital role in both the validation of the CBV and the confidence beef farmers can have in the tool to assist them in making more informed purchasing decisions.
“We have seen time and time again through intake over the years in Tully that those higher index animals consistently perform better, consume less feed, and kill out better and, importantly for the industry, their age at slaughter is likely to be much younger than a lower index animal,” Kilrane said.
In the video, ICBF’s Kilrane compares the performance of two young bulls. Tag 1858 has a high CBV of €297 and Tag 1871 has a lower CBV of €164. Both bulls are sire and dam verified as a result of genotyping.
Commercial beef value is a predictor of how these bulls will perform. The actual data that is captured in Tully will further demonstrate the difference in terms of the actual performance of these bulls.
| Animal | CBV | Date of birth | Sire Breed | Dam Breed | Current weight (kg) | Average daily gain (ADG) (kg) |
| Tag 1858 | €297 | 7/2/2024 | SI | LM x SI | 375 | 0.9 |
| Tag 1871 | €164 | 17/2/2024 | SI | AA x AA | 350 | 0.8 |
The extra 0.1kg in ADG multiplies into a total difference of 36kg in liveweight over the course of a year. At a market price of €4/kg that is an extra €144 in sales value in favour of the high CBV animal.
Across a batch of 20 calves, this could mean an increase in total sales of almost €3,000 purely by getting an extra 0.1kg/day growth on each animal.
Using the CBV can help move your herd in this direction.
Accessing commercial beef value information
Both the online CBV profile and the finishing profile are now available free-of-charge to all herd owners, including non-HerdPlus members for a limited time only.
To access these tools, simply log into your ICBF account, or, if you are not already registered you can do so by returning the ‘farm data release form’.
This is available on the website via the ‘services’ dropdown tab. Alternatively, contact the ICBF HerdPlus team at (023) 8820452 or [email protected].
The commercial beef value online profile is a ground-breaking tool tailored specifically for non-breeding beef farmers.
This profile offers valuable insights into the beef genetic potential of commercial prime cattle, allowing you to make informed purchasing decisions, especially when buying calves and weanlings.
The CBV is displayed as a Euro (€) value and star rating on the mart screen. For private purchases the seller can provide this information.
The ICBF Mart Tracker
The newly launched Mart Tracker by the ICBF is designed to provide farmers with up-to-date information on animals available for sale at marts across the length and breadth of the country.
The ICBF Mart Tracker provides real-time data, allowing users to access key details such as the number of animals in a lot, date of birth, sex, and breed.
Additionally, genetic information will be available to access for animals that meet the following criteria:
- Replacement/terminal/dairy beef index (DBI): Seller’s herd must be signed up to HerdPlus and/or the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP);
- Commercial beef value (CBV): Seller’s herd must be signed up to HerdPlus and the animal must be DNA sire verified.
Accessible through the ICBF website on both mobile devices and desktop computers, the Mart Tracker is free to use and does not require users to log into an ICBF or HerdPlus account for access, making it easier to use.
ICBF is committed to supporting all herd owners in maximising their productivity and profitability. These free tools are designed to help you leverage the Commercial Beef Value when purchasing cattle.