At this time of the year, breeding decisions are being made in spring-calving dairies across the country, and the artificial insemination (AI) and stock bulls used are expected to increase the genetic merit of the 2024 national calf crop. affect.
Use of high genetic merit bulls that produce salable calves of good beef value, with acceptable levels of calving difficulty and gestational age, with increasing use of sexed semen. Emphasis is placed on
Finding AI or Stockbull numbers is a simple task that can be performed on any internet-connected device and takes less than a minute to complete.
Some farmers can do this easily, but many are not very familiar with how to quickly search for bull figures.
As part of the Advantage Spring Dairy-Beef Series, ABP Food Group’s Advantage Beef Program Farm Liaison Officer, Oisin Lynch, explains in the video below how to get sire information quickly.
Bull information is available to farmers across the country from the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation’s (ICBF) Animal Search.
Farmers simply type “ICBF Animal Search” into the internet search bar and click on the relevant page. From here, the farmer can search for her AI code or Stockbull to see what each animal looks like.
“If farmers buy stockbulls before the breeding season, it’s important to remember that all this information is readily available,” Oisin said.
As you can see in the video above, Oisin is a Pute Nascar N13 (AI code: HE5806) and looked at the Dairy Index (DBI) for this cow.
The bull’s DBI value was €113, but Oisin stressed the importance of looking at that sub-index value as well.
Oisin said, from a dairy farmer’s perspective, it’s a good idea to opt for a cow-cow team.
He said the maximum calving difficulty is different for heifers, calving cows and mature cows, so dairymen need to keep this in mind when selecting their cow teams for the 2023 breeding season. I explained that there is.
Dairymen tend to prioritize gestation and calving difficulty, but those raising these calves for beef are more focused on the carcass weight value of the sire, he added. rice field.
Oisin said the Hereford bulls have a breed average carcass weight of 4kg, while the AI bull HE5806 has a carcass weight significantly above the breed average of 12kg.
“At two to three weeks of age, there is little physical difference between good and bad calves, but genetic differences become more pronounced when animals are 12 months old and beyond,” he said. Told.
He emphasized that farmers who prioritize bulls with better genes will have offspring with better carcass performance.
“Now is the time to look at these numbers. Don’t select a sire solely on DBI. Look at the beef sub-index and carcass numbers. can make a big difference in
