A major animal welfare problem is arising on farms where young female cattle are reaching puberty and becoming pregnant long before it is safe for them to do so.
These animals, who have just been weaned, are now likely to become pregnant when as young as seven months because of improved genetics and feeding, according to the Irish Cattle and Sheepfarmers Association.
"It is a fact of life that weaning females are reaching puberty much earlier now and this is resulting in unplanned pregnancies," said Frank Keogh, chairman of the ICSA's beef committee.
"In recent years pregnancy in heifers as young as seven months is not uncommon and as young as 5½ months have been recorded," Mr Keogh said. "These heifers are not fully developed and are ill-equipped to carry a calf.
"This is an animal welfare issue and responsibility always remains with the farmers on whose farm the pregnancy occurred." He added that some dealers were attempting to exploit it.
"The discovery of a pregnancy in a heifer eight months after she has been sold is a costly experience for the original farmer, and ICSA would urge all farmers to take steps to ensure pregnancy prevention before the sale of their stock."
He said some dealers from the North were operating a scam by claiming the heifers they purchased were pregnant.
"Many of the heifers from our suckler [ beef] herds are sold in the North and 99.9 per cent of these traders and farmers are bona fide operators. However, there is a tiny, unscrupulous contingent which is involved with claiming false pregnancies and I know of two such claims in recent weeks."
Mr Keogh said the ICSA was recommending to its members never to agree a settlement without travelling to see the stock in question.