At this year’s Ploughing, the Irish Aubrac Cattle Society will have a very impressive line-up of cattle on display. The society and its breeders will be displaying dairy cross cattle at the stand to show the benefits from using an Aubrac bull on the dairy herd.

With the recent rise in new dairy entrants and expanding cow numbers in the dairy industry, the society feels this is an area where the breed can play a huge role in helping not only the farmer meet market specifications and requirements but also helping the processors receive animals with the desired grades and fat scores.

The Aubrac breed’s main attributes consist of ease of calving and calf vigour coupled with the animal’s ease of finishing and good grade scores. The society and its members feel that the breed is a very effective alternative to some of the traditional breeds currently chosen for dairy herds.

Show winners

The major show winners from around the countryside will be on display for the public to view. This will provide spectators with a good chance to view pedigree Aubrac cows, heifers and bulls.

The society will also be highlighting throughout the three-day event the benefits which the Aubrac cattle have to offer in relation to the introduction of the new Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP).

Following the ICBF genetic evaluations and scoring, the Aubrac breed as a whole has scored very well with the highest-ranked pedigree cow having a five-star replacement index of €251. This highlights the benefits which the breed can offer to the beef industry in Ireland.

The society will also be holding a free draw offering those in attendance the chance to win a pedigree registered Aubrac maiden heifer, so be sure to call.