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We would like to obtain a better understanding of the priority farmers would give to calving difficulty traits in future genetic selection decisions for the Irish beef and dairy industries. In particular, it is recognised that there is a tendency for breeds and sires which leave calves of higher value in Marts to also have a greater risk of difficult calving.

The aim of this survey is to analyse how different levels of calving difficulty will impact on the desirability of both AI bulls, and stock bulls for natural mating. We have particular interest in finding the maximum calving difficulty level acceptable; this is the level above which further increases lead to inadmissible economic and/ or labour consequences. Special attention is given to differentiate between the consequences of calving difficulty in cows and heifers.

SURVEY NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST.

We kindly ask you to try to be as accurate as possible when giving figures of cost since they will inform the calculations used to determine the weighting given to calving difficulty in future selection indexes for the beef and dairy industries.

Thank you very much for your input to this very important industry issue.