Identify Eligible Sires For The Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme

As part of the National Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme (DBWS) that was launched by the Department of Agriculture, Food & the Marine (DAFM) in 2024, dairy farmers who 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 trade scheme-eligible stock bulls and identify beef AI sires that meet the scheme eligibility criteria.

In addition to this, a new screen is now available for farmers to check the eligibility of their own stock bulls and any AI bulls used to sire dairy beef calves within their herd.

This screen is available by logging into ICBF Herdplus > Services > Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme.

Figure 1: ICBF Stock Bull Finder with new Eligibility filter added.
Figure 2: Animal Search-Stockbull with new Dairy Beef Eligibility tab added.
Figure 3: Animal Search-AI bull with new Dairy Beef Eligibility tab added.
Figure 4: Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme Screen with eligibility of bulls used in herd.

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 2026 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 2026 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 2025, as this is when the dam will have been served.