Farmers can now genotype all their female calves which will allow them to make a more informed decision around breeding and culling potential replacements.

This service could cost herd-owners as little as €22/head which a study has shown represents a four to one return on investment!

The new genomic pricing system now means the following:

Dairy – Males

  • Price remains at €50/head

Dairy – Females

  • No genotyping without being a member of HerdPlus
  • €22/head if doing groups of females in the herd e.g. All 2015 females
  • €30/head if doing selective females e.g. genotyping two females

Beef Animals

  • No genotyping of commercial animals without being a member of HerdPlus or the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP).
  • €22/head for males & females.
  • €30/head for pedigree animals for herds Not in HerdPlus or Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP)

Foreign Genotypes

  • €20/head for genomic evaluation

Since 2009 genomic selection has been successfully applied to males in dairy breeding scheme. As a result farmers have achieved a higher rate of genetic gain through using genomically tested bulls in their herds. As the cost of genotyping continues to fall, now only €22/head, it has become increasingly popular to genotype all the dairy females in a herd.

The following is a list of benefits to be gained from Genotyping females:

  • Identify the best heifers to become herd replacements;
  • Provide better prediction of the true value of an animal’s genetics, that may result in better sale price;
  • Validate certainty of parentage of individual cows;
  • Improve the reliability of genomic selection by increasing the number of animals in the reference population.

In the near future genomics will allow farmers to avoid inbreeding through the use of genomic matings, where relationships between animals are quantified at the genomic level. It will also be used to avoid genetic defects that could arise from mating cows to bulls that are known carriers of genetic defects.

To avail of this invaluable service, call ICBF on 1850 600 900.