Beef Welfare Scheme 2026

National Dairy Beef Weighing Scheme 2026

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has announced the Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme (DBWS) will reopen for new applicants on Tuesday, 21 April 2026. The DBWS has a budget of €25 million over four years (2024 – 2027) and is co-funded by the EU as part of the CAP Strategic Plan (CSP).

The Dairy Beef Welfare Scheme is a breeding measure providing support to dairy farmers to improve the animal health and welfare of the national dairy herd by using genetically superior beef sires for breeding dairy beef calves. Participants are required to use AI straws or stock bulls with a minimum rating of three stars on the ICBF Dairy Beef Index (DBI) and on the beef sub-index of the DBI.

This is the third year of the scheme as part of the CAP Strategic Plan with payments of €5.98 million issuing to some 9,175 farmers in February 2026 who had eligible calves born between 01 January 2025 and 31 December 2025. Applicants to the scheme in 2024 or 2025 do not need to reapply to the scheme as their application has automatically rolled over to 2026.

Farmers satisfying the scheme requirements will receive a payment of €20 per eligible calf up to a maximum of 50 calves per holding.

Key Scheme Actions

  • Mandatory Action

    • Meal Feeding before and after weaning.

  • Optional Actions (choose at application stage)

    • Vaccination

    • Faecal Testing or Forage/Silage Testing

Faecal Testing Requirements

  • Two tests for parasites, minimum 4 weeks apart

  • Retain receipts for kits and record all actions on official record sheets

  • Farmers may test for worms, fluke, coccidia, or a combination

Silage Testing

  • Submit 3 separate silage samples in labelled zip-lock bags

  • Results issued within ~10 working days

Faecal Testing Options

  • Worm Egg Count only

  • Rumen & Liver Fluke only

  • Full panel (Worms, Fluke, Coccidia)

Results

  • Farmers receive results via text (Faeces) / email or post (Silage)

  • Keep invoices and results for BWS payment claims

  • Consult your vet for interpretation and treatment advice

Contact – Oldcastle Laboratories Ltd

📍 Cogan St, Oldcastle, Co. Meath, A82 HW90
📞 (049) 854 1160
✉️ reception@oldcastlelabs.ie

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