ICBF outlines simple steps to manage your breeding season

With the breeding season due to start on many farms over the coming days, and with many other farms having already started, the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) has outlined some simple steps to follow during the 2021 breeding season.

1. Identify your herd’s genetics

Firstly, you should identify where your herd is at. In order to improve and make progress you need to identify where your herd’s performance is currently.

This can be done by using your economic breeding index (EBI) report and dairy herd performance report.

2. Define your breeding goals

Once you have identified where your herd’s performance is at, the next step is to define your breeding goals.

This could be supplying the herd with more kg of milk solids, or a ambition to improve fertility.

Identify these goals for your own herd, as individual herd’s will have different areas that can be worked-on in order to breed for balance.

3. Select a team of high EBI bulls from ICBF Active Bull List

The ICBF Dairy Active Bull List is a list of the top 75 dairy artificial insemination (AI) bulls ranked on dairy EBI.

This list includes bulls with an EBI reliability % > 35%, a calving difficulty reliability % > 70% and > 50 calving records included in their evaluation.

This is a useful tool for selecting your team of bulls for the breeding season.

Note; a team of bulls should be selected in equal porportion.

4. Breed from your highest EBI females

When selecting which animals to breed from, it is advantageous to select your highest EBI females.

A lot of herd-owners choose not to use dairy AI on their maiden heifers. This can slow the rate of genetic gain as your heifers in most cases are your highest EBI females.

5. Using a stock bull? Ensure he is genotyped

If you choose to use a stockbull this breeding season, it is important to ensure he is genotyped.

By choosing a genotyped stock bull, you will be using a bull with as much as double the reliability on his figures.

Did you know that a genotyped stockbull can have as much reliability as a new AI sire in-test.

6. Use the Dairy Beef Index (DBI)

If you are choosing to use some beef AI, use the ‘Dairy Beef Index’ (DBI).

This index is for Irish dairy and beef farmers to promote high-quality beef cattle, bred from the dairy herd that are more saleable as calves and profitable at slaughter yet, they have minimal consequences on the calving difficulty or gestation length of the dairy cow.