SHARING OPTIONS: Cattle bred from the dairy herd have a poorer conformation and kill-out percentage in comparison with progeny from the suckler herd. Over recent years, our national dairy herd has become an increasingly important source of raw material for the Irish beef sector. Last year, dairy-bred progeny accounted for 57% of the cattle processed at meat plants, having risen steadily from 47% in 2010. Dairy beef also dominates across the EU-27, whose overall breeding herd of 31.3m includes 20.5m dairy cows (65%). There is a wide range with regard to the quality of different calves produced from the dairy herd, which include pure-dairy males and crosses with the traditional beef breeds, as well as larger continental breeds.