As these reports have genomic indexes included for the first time, many farmers will be paying particular attention to the 2018 target and where their own herd now stands in relation to this. By 31st Oct 2018 each herd is required to have females that have been genotyped 4 or 5 star on the Replacement Index equivalent to 20% of its reference number, eg. reference number is 10 then the herd must have 2 females that have been genotyped 4 or 5 star on the Replacement Index . Females are also required to be 16 months old on this date, meaning they will have to be born on or before 30th June 2017.
What are my options?
The first thing you should do is sit down with your advisor and go through your latest BDGP €uro-Star report in detail. Establish the number of genotyped 4/5 star replacement females in your herd currently. Estimate the likely number of genotyped 4/5 star replacement females in your herd before 31st October 2018.
If you feel you will not have enough 4 or 5 star females to meet the 2018 target and your cows are not in calf to high Replacement Index bulls since before mid-September, then you’re only option is buy in suitable females. This may not be something which many farmers have done up to now, but it is really the only option for a herd that is not on course to meet the 2018 target. If you decide you do need to buy in females, then you need to take the following into consideration:
Make sure you are looking at the most recent €uro-Star Index: This is particularly relevant where farm to farm sales are taking place. ICBF updates €uro-Star Indexes three times per year (Apr, Aug & Dec). You may be presented with a report showing the indexes of animals, but this report could well be out of date. All ICBF reports have a date of evaluation included on them. The current evaluation is August 2016 and this will be updated again in Dec. The ICBF online animal search will always have the most up to date €uro-Star Index. Is the animal’s index a genomic index: Animals with genomic indexes are now being highlighted on the ICBF animal search and in all reports. Buying genotyped females is a better option where possible as females that are purchased without having been genotyped will need to be genotyped before they can be deemed eligible. Marts now displaying €uro-Star Indexes: In excess of 30 marts are now displaying indexes in the sales ring. This is a very positive development and gives farmers the option of purchasing high Replacement Index females through marts. Indexes displayed in marts will always be up to date. Analysis of herds participating in the BDGP shows that there are a large number of herds which have a surplus of 4 or 5 star females. As the scheme progresses and more animals are genotyped, these surplus females will start to come on the market, either through online sales websites or through mart sales. If you are concerned about meeting your replacement targets for the BDGP, please talk to your agricultural advisor or call ICBF on 1850 625 626 or email query@icbf.com. Carbon Navigator
The deadline for the completion of the Carbon Navigator has been extended by one month to 30th November 2016. Applicants are still encouraged to make arrangements to get this completed ASAP. This must be completed with the assistance of a DAFM approved agricultural advisor. There will be no cost to the farmer for completing the Carbon Navigator, but the farmer must make contact with a DAFM approved advisor to make an appointment to complete it. For a list of DAFM approved advisors go to www.agriculture.gov.ie
Tissue Tags
More than 90% of 2016 BDGP tissue tags have been returned. This is excellent progress and BDGP applicants that have yet to return tags are encouraged to do so ASAP in order to receive genomic evaluations in the December evaluation run. If you have any questions contact ICBF on 1850 625 626 or email query@icbf.com
Q. Where can I find an up to date €uro-Star Index?
A. The ICBF animal search always has the most up to date index for all animals, at any point in time. All reports will also include the evaluation date, so where you are looking at a paper report, make sure to check this date. The current evaluation is August 2016. For those purchasing females through marts, mart screens will always have the most up to date index.
Q. What should I do if I can’t meet all of the programme targets?
A. If you need advice then you need to ensure that you talk to people that are best placed to give advice. Talk to your agricultural advisor. Most are very familiar with the programme and will be able to advise you on what’s best for your situation. Alternatively, contact ICBF on 1850 625 626 or email query@icbf.com. Don’t worry if you think you are in a difficult situation. There is always a solution. You just need to talk to the right people.
More Focus on Higher Index Cows
Name: Tom Halpin, Carlanstown, Kells, Co Meath
Farming System: Suckler to beef.
4 and 5 Star Females: Cows: 44. Heifers: 71.
Stock Bull or AI: Mainly stock bull with some AI.
Replacement Strategy: Breed my own.
Tom Halpin runs an 80-90 cow suckler herd outside of Kells, Co. Meath. Tom was one of four farmers profiled as part of the BDGP training videos earlier this year. Tom outlined how he would need to make some adjustments to his breeding policy in order to meet the programme requirements.
What is your farming system?
Our calving is split between Spring (Feb-Mar) and Summer (Jun-Jul). All bulls are slaughtered at U16 months of age with heifers that are not retained for breeding being slaughtered at 18-20 months. All replacements are bred from within the herd.
What changes have you made to your replacement strategy?
We purchased a high Replacement Index Simmental bull earlier this year to use to breed replacement females. We have also placed more focus on which females are mated to which bulls. The high Replacement Index cows are mated to the high Replacement Index stock bull so that the females from this cross will have as high an index as possible.
The lower Replacement Index cows are mated to our more terminal Charolais and Limousin stock bulls. We have used some AI in the past but the farm isn’t really suited to it.
Have you taken time to look through your latest BDGP report?
I was quite happy with the report. A lot of our females rose on their genomic indexes. In the report which we received last January it showed that we had 60% of our reference number in 4 or 5 star females and that a lot of our younger heifers had low star ratings. The most recent report now shows that we have 133% of our reference number in 4 or 5 star females. This is down to a combination of animals rising on their genomic indexes as well as this year’s heifer calves having a higher index.
30 November: Deadline for completion of the Carbon Navigator as part of the BDGP requirements. Please make arrangements to complete the Carbon Navigator with an approved adviser ASAP. For a list of approved advisers, go to www.agriculture.gov.ie/beefschemes.
As these reports have genomic indexes included for the first time, many farmers will be paying particular attention to the 2018 target and where their own herd now stands in relation to this. By 31st Oct 2018 each herd is required to have females that have been genotyped 4 or 5 star on the Replacement Index equivalent to 20% of its reference number, eg. reference number is 10 then the herd must have 2 females that have been genotyped 4 or 5 star on the Replacement Index . Females are also required to be 16 months old on this date, meaning they will have to be born on or before 30th June 2017.
What are my options?
The first thing you should do is sit down with your advisor and go through your latest BDGP €uro-Star report in detail. Establish the number of genotyped 4/5 star replacement females in your herd currently. Estimate the likely number of genotyped 4/5 star replacement females in your herd before 31st October 2018.
If you feel you will not have enough 4 or 5 star females to meet the 2018 target and your cows are not in calf to high Replacement Index bulls since before mid-September, then you’re only option is buy in suitable females. This may not be something which many farmers have done up to now, but it is really the only option for a herd that is not on course to meet the 2018 target. If you decide you do need to buy in females, then you need to take the following into consideration:
Make sure you are looking at the most recent €uro-Star Index: This is particularly relevant where farm to farm sales are taking place. ICBF updates €uro-Star Indexes three times per year (Apr, Aug & Dec). You may be presented with a report showing the indexes of animals, but this report could well be out of date. All ICBF reports have a date of evaluation included on them. The current evaluation is August 2016 and this will be updated again in Dec. The ICBF online animal search will always have the most up to date €uro-Star Index. Is the animal’s index a genomic index: Animals with genomic indexes are now being highlighted on the ICBF animal search and in all reports. Buying genotyped females is a better option where possible as females that are purchased without having been genotyped will need to be genotyped before they can be deemed eligible. Marts now displaying €uro-Star Indexes: In excess of 30 marts are now displaying indexes in the sales ring. This is a very positive development and gives farmers the option of purchasing high Replacement Index females through marts. Indexes displayed in marts will always be up to date. Analysis of herds participating in the BDGP shows that there are a large number of herds which have a surplus of 4 or 5 star females. As the scheme progresses and more animals are genotyped, these surplus females will start to come on the market, either through online sales websites or through mart sales. If you are concerned about meeting your replacement targets for the BDGP, please talk to your agricultural advisor or call ICBF on 1850 625 626 or email query@icbf.com. Carbon Navigator
The deadline for the completion of the Carbon Navigator has been extended by one month to 30th November 2016. Applicants are still encouraged to make arrangements to get this completed ASAP. This must be completed with the assistance of a DAFM approved agricultural advisor. There will be no cost to the farmer for completing the Carbon Navigator, but the farmer must make contact with a DAFM approved advisor to make an appointment to complete it. For a list of DAFM approved advisors go to www.agriculture.gov.ie
Tissue Tags
More than 90% of 2016 BDGP tissue tags have been returned. This is excellent progress and BDGP applicants that have yet to return tags are encouraged to do so ASAP in order to receive genomic evaluations in the December evaluation run. If you have any questions contact ICBF on 1850 625 626 or email query@icbf.com
Q. Where can I find an up to date €uro-Star Index?
A. The ICBF animal search always has the most up to date index for all animals, at any point in time. All reports will also include the evaluation date, so where you are looking at a paper report, make sure to check this date. The current evaluation is August 2016. For those purchasing females through marts, mart screens will always have the most up to date index.
Q. What should I do if I can’t meet all of the programme targets?
A. If you need advice then you need to ensure that you talk to people that are best placed to give advice. Talk to your agricultural advisor. Most are very familiar with the programme and will be able to advise you on what’s best for your situation. Alternatively, contact ICBF on 1850 625 626 or email query@icbf.com. Don’t worry if you think you are in a difficult situation. There is always a solution. You just need to talk to the right people.
More Focus on Higher Index Cows
Name: Tom Halpin, Carlanstown, Kells, Co Meath
Farming System: Suckler to beef.
4 and 5 Star Females: Cows: 44. Heifers: 71.
Stock Bull or AI: Mainly stock bull with some AI.
Replacement Strategy: Breed my own.
Tom Halpin runs an 80-90 cow suckler herd outside of Kells, Co. Meath. Tom was one of four farmers profiled as part of the BDGP training videos earlier this year. Tom outlined how he would need to make some adjustments to his breeding policy in order to meet the programme requirements.
What is your farming system?
Our calving is split between Spring (Feb-Mar) and Summer (Jun-Jul). All bulls are slaughtered at U16 months of age with heifers that are not retained for breeding being slaughtered at 18-20 months. All replacements are bred from within the herd.
What changes have you made to your replacement strategy?
We purchased a high Replacement Index Simmental bull earlier this year to use to breed replacement females. We have also placed more focus on which females are mated to which bulls. The high Replacement Index cows are mated to the high Replacement Index stock bull so that the females from this cross will have as high an index as possible.
The lower Replacement Index cows are mated to our more terminal Charolais and Limousin stock bulls. We have used some AI in the past but the farm isn’t really suited to it.
Have you taken time to look through your latest BDGP report?
I was quite happy with the report. A lot of our females rose on their genomic indexes. In the report which we received last January it showed that we had 60% of our reference number in 4 or 5 star females and that a lot of our younger heifers had low star ratings. The most recent report now shows that we have 133% of our reference number in 4 or 5 star females. This is down to a combination of animals rising on their genomic indexes as well as this year’s heifer calves having a higher index.
30 November: Deadline for completion of the Carbon Navigator as part of the BDGP requirements. Please make arrangements to complete the Carbon Navigator with an approved adviser ASAP. For a list of approved advisers, go to www.agriculture.gov.ie/beefschemes.
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