Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 and Paralabs
Paralabs provides laboratory testing and faecal sampling services for Irish farmers.
Our faecal testing service is designed to make submitting samples straightforward for farmers who want to monitor parasite levels in their livestock.
For the Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 faecal testing action, Paralabs can provide Faecal sampling kits which includes:
- Sample containers
- Sample submission information
- Laboratory analysis
- Test results for your farm records
Order a Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 Faecal Testing Kit
If you are participating in the 2026 National Beef Welfare Scheme and have selected the faecal testing option, order your sampling kit from Paralabs.
Order your Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 faecal testing kit today.
The National Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 is an Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) scheme designed to support beef farmers in improving calf health, animal welfare and farm management.
The 2026 scheme continues the focus on practical measures that can improve animal health and performance. The scheme includes meal feeding, vaccination and faecal or forage testing, with meal feeding being the compulsory action and vaccination and testing available as optional actions.
For farmers choosing the testing option, faecal egg count testing provides a practical way to monitor parasite levels in calves and support informed parasite-control decisions.
Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 – Key Information
- Scheme: National Beef Welfare Scheme 2026
- Administered by: Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)
- Target farmers: Eligible Irish beef and suckler farmers
- Compulsory action: Meal feeding
- Optional action: Vaccination
- Optional action: Faecal sampling or forage sampling
- Maximum eligible calves: 45 calves
- 2026 scheme allocation: €28 million
The 2026 scheme is expected to operate with a similar structure to the 2025 Beef Welfare Scheme. Farmers should always check the current DAFM terms and conditions for the final eligibility requirements, dates and payment rates.
Beef Welfare Scheme 2026 Faecal Egg Count Testing
Farmers who choose the faecal testing option can use faecal egg count testing to assess the parasite burden in their calves.
A faecal egg count (FEC) measures the number of worm eggs present in a faecal sample. The result can help farmers and their veterinary or agricultural advisers make better-informed decisions about parasite control.
Faecal testing can help farmers:
- Monitor parasite burdens in calves
- Identify whether significant worm burdens are present
- Support more targeted parasite-control decisions
- Reduce unnecessary use of wormers
- Monitor the effectiveness of parasite-control programmes
- Improve calf health and performance
- Maintain records associated with the Beef Welfare Scheme
Why use faecal egg count testing?
Routine or targeted faecal testing can provide useful information about the parasite status of a group of animals.
Rather than relying solely on a calendar-based worming programme, faecal egg count results can provide additional evidence when deciding whether treatment is required.
Farmers should discuss test results and parasite-control decisions with their veterinary surgeon or agricultural adviser.
What Does a Faecal Egg Count Test?
A faecal egg count examines a faecal sample for evidence of eggs produced by gastrointestinal worms and/or Fluke egg count.
The result allows the parasite burden in the sampled animals to be assessed.
Faecal egg counting is a monitoring tool. It does not replace professional veterinary advice, and farmers should consider the age of the animals, grazing conditions, clinical signs, previous treatments and other relevant farm information when making parasite-control decisions.