The breeding season is just around the corner and many farmers will have selected their sires or are in the final stages of bull team selection.
It’s now time to get an understanding of what criteria dairy farmers are using to select bulls.
Agriland spoke with a number of Irish artificial insemination (AI) companies.
A focus on milk solids remains for dairy farmers, with many focusing on bulls that will increase milk solids through percentages.
There is also a focus on the health and maintenance figure according to a number of the companies – with many trying to maintain cow size.
An increase in the use of continental sires is also being seen in terms of dairy-beef, with Charolais being popular – but Angus will remain the most popular used beef sire on dairy cows and heifers.
Progressive Genetics
Seamus Hughes from Progressive Genetics spoke to Agriland and said that there has been a reverse in dairy vs beef AI – with 55-60% of dairy cows now being bred to beef sires.
Hughes also said he has seen a 10% increase in the demand for sexed semen on farms.
In terms of dairy-beef selection, Angus remains the most popular, but Hughes noted that there has been an increase in the demand for Belgian Blue and Charolais sires in dairy herds.
Hughes also said that dairy farmers have become very aware and conscious of what beef bulls they are using on their cows.
He said that the key to this, is having a saleable calf: “Dairy farmers are looking for sires that have a good beef sub-index, good carcass, something that is short gestation and relatively easy calving.”
Some of the popular Angus sires includes Tower Tommie and HW Lord Horatio. Other bulls include the Charolais sires Lapon and Orbi.
In terms of dairy sires Hughes said that farmers are looking for bulls that have good fertility, have good solids coming the production sub-index and percentages fat and protein.
He also said that there is a trend among farmers not too use bulls that are high on maintenance, with farmers happy with cow size currently.
Popular dairy sires with Progressive Genetics:
- Olcastletown Mojo, he has an EBI of €358;
- Tinnakill Grandslam, he has an EBI of €347;
- Tankardsrock Teak, he has an EBI of €358.
Dovea Genetics
Niall Duffy from Dovea Genetics said that young bulls are selling well and that have very high components, with over 32kg of milk solids.
Farmers are also selecting the bulls with high components and good production ahead of the 2024 breeding season.
Some of the popular dairy sires with Dovea so far have been:
Ballintosig Mister Man (FR7749), he has an economic breeding index (EBI) of €336 – Duffy says that he is very popular and sexed straws have been limited to 10 straws/person.
A bull that farmers are selecting for udder improvement is Clochrua Messi (FR9358). He has an EBI of €324.
Another bull being selected for udder improvement is Glenaboy Hero (FR8908), he has EBI of €329.
A bull being selected for improving feet and legs within herds is Ballintosig Star Trek (FR8862), he has an EBI of €340.
The most popular proven bull in Dovea Genetics so far has been Oldcastletown Tiernan (FR5857), he has an EBI of €285.
Another popular bull is Glenaboy Allstar SRM (FR8893), he has an EBI of €355 and has a maintenance figure of €20 – which is one of the reason this bull is popular, according to Duffy.
Eurogene
Eamon Coleman from Eurogene ahead of the upcoming breeding season, he again said that the popularity of sexed semen has grown with over 60% of dairy straws sold being sexed.
Coleman said that farmers are very much focusing on bulls that offer high percentages with bulls such as Coolnaclehy Topgun SRM with an EBI of €349 and Springhaven Trumpet SRM with an EBI of €357 – being popular.
Rochemount Lad (FR6981) with an EBI of €342 and Waterpark Jasper 2121 (FR9091), EBI of €334 are also popular, according to Coleman.
He said that there is a continued focus on fertility and health has also become a big part of the selection criteria for many – with negative health bulls not being considered by many.
Looking at the beef sires, Angus will remain the biggest seller, followed by Hereford – but continental sires are growing.
Although Coleman expected Angus to be the biggest seller again this year, he does expect to see a slight decline in the total number of straws sold with the short-gestation and easy calving Charolais sires such as Mojito Exc (CH6912) and Feydaud (CH8856) growing in popularity.
The short-gestation Limousin bull Gaggin Power ET (LM7404) was popular last year and Coleman expects that to be continued this year.
LIC
David Power from LIC, said that the demand for sexed semen continues to grow year on year – with 66% of sales so far being sexed.
In terms of the demand for the Friesian sires the popular bulls so far have been Bellamys DM Galant-Et S1F (FR9817), he is over 10% solids in New Zealand – with 5.7% fat and 4.3% protein or 0.45% fat and 0.25% protein in Ireland.
Some of the other popular Friesian sires include Buelin BM Equator S2F (FR7155) with an EBI of €263 – he is now daughter proven in Ireland and Arkan MGH Backdrop-ET S2F (FR6730) – he has an EBI of €323.
Moving to the Kiwicross sires, Power said that no bulls are really standing out yet with farmers having such a wide selection of sires to choose from.
But the likes of Gordons Flash-Gordan (JEX233) is the number one daughter proven Kiwi-cross sire -with an EBI of €232.
Power also mentioned a number of Kiwi-cross genomic bulls that are popular such as Lake Downs Resolution-Et (JEX305), he has an EBI of €183, Burgess Plato-Et with an EBI of €123 and Juffermans MR-Exclusive with an EBI of €136 – as the newest genetics coming out of New Zealand.
He said there has also been an increase in the demand for Irish sires, born from LIC Irish breeding programme – which is LIC sired calved calves from LIC sired dams.
They include sires such as LIC Bopuru Bro with an EBI of €301 and LIC Hustler with an EBI of €325.
According to Power there is still a demand for Jersey sires but it is all sexed semen with Ulmarra TT Gallivant (JE6238) with an EBI of €240 expected to be popular again this year.
Moving to the beef sires some of the Charolais sired brought in by LIC such as Kakahu 200801 (CH9454) and Kakahu 200802 (CH9457) are in demand.
They are both short gestation sires, calving down seven to 14 days early.
Power said that a lot of farmers are using these sires right from the start of the breeding season mixed with some Hereford sires.
Breeding
As the breeding season approaches it is vital that you ensure that cows are being adequately fed, challenging ground condition coupled with low fodder supplies is placing pressure on farms.
It is vital that you are monitoring body condition score (BCS) of cows ahead of breeding starting and that you ensure that energy demands are being met.
If fodder supplies are beginning too run low, you should act early to prevent it becoming a bigger issue.