The Irish Holstein Friesian Association (IHFA) held its national open day on the farm of the Frawley family, home of the Ballytigue herd, on Thursday (July 7).

The sunshine attracted a large crowd to the Co. Limerick dairy farm on the day, which heard about the Ballytigue herd and the results of the national herd competition and stock judging.

Frawley family

The Ballytigue herd is operated by Aidan and Sally Ann Frawley, and their children Séan, Laura, Conor and Áine.

The herd was established as a new herd in 2002 and has become synonymous with quality breeding, strong cow families and efficiency of performance in the years since.

The Ballytigue herd has ranked in the top three of the IHFA National Herds Competition on numerous occasions in recent years.

Aidan’s parents, John and Ann, run the Coolstar herd, where Aidan grew up alongside his brothers and sisters.

Ballytigue herd

The Ballytigue prefix was registered with 35 heifers and milk production began in 2002.

These heifers laid the foundation of the herd with many of these family lines still remaining in the herd today.

Milk quotas were purchased at every available opportunity to allow for continued development and increased productivity.

The adaptation of the yard, buildings and facilities to suit dairying was a significant challenge.

Today, a total of 260ac is farmed, with the milking herd consisting of 180 pedigree-registered Holsteins with an average recorded production of 9,538kg and 689kg milk solids.

A split calving pattern is operated on the farm, with 70% calving in the spring and 30% in the winter.

Last year the herd supplied three million litres of milk to the co-op, at 3.98% fat and 3.33% protein.

Breeding

Breeding has played a key role in the success of the Ballytigue herd, with some of the influential cow families in the herd including:

  • Rolls;
  • Penny;
  • Jill;
  • Goldrose;
  • Daisy;
  • Erin;
  • Shower.

87%, or 150 cows in the herd are scored as very good (VG)/excellent (EX) on IHFA classification of conformation, including:

  • One EX95;
  • Six EX94;
  • Eight EX93;
  • Nine EX92.

On the most recent scoring of the herd this year, an EX95 was achieved by Ballytigue Goldchip Penny (EX95-4E). Her daughter is also in the herd – Mogul Penny (EX94-2E) – with two of her daughters on offer in the sale: Lot 8: Ballytiguee Aladdin Penny and Lot 9: Ballytigue Crown Penny.

This was not the first EX95 cow from the Ballytigue herd – Ballytigue Sanchez Rolls (EX95-4E), who won Best Senior Cow Limerick Clare Friesian Breeders Club two years in a row.

She also had a number of gran daughters on offer in the sale.

Herds competition

The open day saw the award presentation of the IHFA National Herds Competition 2022 sponsored by Greenvale Animal Feeds.

38 herds nominated as the top herds at local/club level by the 16 IHFA local clubs were entered into the competition.

Renowned Judge and Holstein breeder Hefyn Wilson, from the Treggiby herd in Wales, visited the herds throughout the country in a busy six-day period last month, to assess herd quality.

There are four separate categories in the competition: Pure Friesian herds, Spring calving herds, Herds 80 cows and less, and Herds greater than 80 cows.   

The result from the IHFA open day are outlined below.

2022 Winners

Spring section

  1. Edward Fitzgerald, Toberfort Herd, Killmallock, Co. Limerick;
  2. William Horgan, Aghaleemore Herd, Killarney, Co. Kerry;
  3. Tadhg Sweeney, Frankford Herd, Kilcormack, Co. Offaly.

Under-80 section

  1. Colin Walsh, Fairview Herd, Oldtown, Co. Dublin;
  2. Dermot Jackson, Borkilbeg Herd, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow;
  3. Noel Hennessy, Thevalley Herd, Lismore, Co. Waterford.

Over 80 section

  1. Tom and James Kelly, Monamore Herd, Drogheda, Co. Louth;
  2. Ricky Barrett, Laurelelm Herd, Ballinhassig, Co. Cork;
  3. Aidan and Sally-Ann Frawley, Ballytigue Herd, Bruree, Co. Limerick.

EBI Awards (All IHFA Herds)

EBI Animal Award: Tankardsrock LHZ Twinkle EBI (economic breeding index) €350 from Stephen McShane and the Tankardsrock herd in Kilkerley, Dundalk, Co. Louth.

EBI Animal Award Classified VG/EX: Moorabby Koz Laura 1542 EBI €333 from Timothy Blackburn, Main Street Galbally, Co. Tipperary.

Judges Choice Award

  1. Tom and James Kelly, Monamore Herd, Drogheda, Co. Louth;
  2. Noel Hennessy, Thevalley Herd, Lismore, Co. Waterford;
  3. Aidan and Sally-Ann Frawley, Ballytigue Herd, Bruree, Co. Limerick.

Judges Recognition Award

Went to Noel Hennessy and his Thevalley Herd from Lismore, Co. Waterford.

Stock judging

The results from the stocking judging on the day are as follow as:

Under-18 section

  1. Limerick-Clare club represented by Bill Hannon, Daniel Chaplin, Orla Frawley;
  2. Kerry club represented by Kate Maunsell, Michael Savage and Muiris Harty;
  3. Cork club represented by Kate Lehane, Gaby Nagle and Sarah Shannon.

Highest individual score went to Sarah Williamson.

18-26 section

  1. Kerry represented by Jack Goulding, Jack Walsh and Padraic Broderick;
  2. Limerick-Clare club represented by Damien Burke; Emma McNamara and Rachel McNamara;
  3. Carlow-Kilkenny club represented by George Murphy; Hannah Murphy and Joseph Donohoe.

Highest individual score went to Damien Burke.

Over 26 section

  1. Kerry club represented by Kieran Savage, Emer Curtin and Tommy Maunsell;
  2. Donegal club represented by Trevor lockhart, Alan McBeth and Charles McAndress;
  3. North Eastern club represented by Alan Dorian; John Moore and Pat Murray.

Highest individual score went to Alan McBeth.

IHFA IHFA HERDS COMPETITION IHFA NATIONAL OPEN DAY