Descriptive analysis of British cattle births and deaths between 2013–2023

Data on catt le births and deaths are recorded centrally in England, Scotland and Wales, and provide a valuable tool for epidemiological assessments. This study analysed data collected by the British Catt le Movement Service between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2023. Overall, the data included 29 086 937 catt le births, mostly occurring in England (65.4%). The most common breed born was the Holstein-Friesian (16.4%), likely because of its use in the dairy industry, closely followed by Limousin crossbreeds (14.9%), which may be favoured because of the quality of the beef they produce. There was a significant reduction in the number of male dairy breeds born each year (P < 0.001), and an increase in the proportion of native beef breeds being born. The death data included 4 425 443 deaths on farm and 25 347 827 deaths at abatt oirs. Around 14.9% of all catt le deaths occurred on farm, with this number remaining fairly consistent over time, with a mean of 402 081 deaths per year. The largest proportion of on-farm deaths was among Holstein-Friesian females, who accounted for 24.9% of all on-farm deaths, which is high and warrants further study to minimise welfare concerns.