EBI ( Economic Breeding Index) & DBI ( Dairy Beef Index) & Eurostar Index October 8th 2026
EBI (Economic Breeding Index) Course Content
The EBI section of the training focuses on using a single-figure profit index to identify the most profitable bulls and cows for dairy herd replacements.
Sub-indexes & Traits: The curriculum breaks down the EBI into its core components (weighted by economic impact):
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- Milk Production: Yield and composition (fat/protein).
- Fertility: Calving interval and survival rates (major emphasis, ~25-33%).
- Calving Performance: Calving difficulty and gestation length.
- Beef Carcass: Carcass weight, conformation, and, recently, age at slaughter.
- Carbon Sub-index: Environmental impact reduction.
- Cow Maintenance: Efficiency of cow size.
- Health: Somatic Cell Count (SCC) and mastitis resistance.
- Management: Temperament and milkability.
DBI (Dairy Beef Index) Course Content
The DBI section covers selecting beef bulls for use on dairy cows to produce high-value calves without compromising the health of the dam.
- Beef Sub-index: Focusing on carcass merit.
- Calving Sub-index: Managing calving ease and gestation length.
- Commercial Beef Value (CBV): Understanding how to select for 4 or 5-star CBV calves.
- Selection Strategies: Choosing appropriate sires for heifers versus mature cows
Euro-Star
The Euro-Star Index is a breeding index designed to aid beef farmers in the selection of more profitable breeding animals. Euro-Star Indexes quantify the genetic component of an animal’s performance across all traits of importance for Irish suckler farmers.
Two Overall Indexes in Beef
The Euro-Star Index has two overall indexes – the Replacement Index and the Terminal Index. This is to facilitate the use of Euro-Star Indexes across different farming systems. Some farmers may breed their own replacements, in which case the Replacement Index is most relevant. Other farmers may sell all of their suckler progeny as weanlings or take them through to slaughter, in which case the Terminal Index is most relevant.
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Have Questions?
For more details or if you have any questions about our EBI & DBI & Euro-Star course, feel free to reach out.
Call: +353 (0)57 860 1813
Email [email protected]