The EBI details of the 75 bulls on the list are based on the December 2015 genetic evaluations computed by ICBF. Semen from all of the bulls has been indicated as being available by the various AI companies, hence the term active bull list.
The criteria for making the list is as follows:
Bull is approved for “widespread use”.EBIs with reliabilities greater than or equal to 35%.Calving difficulty evaluations with reliabilities greater than or equal to 70% and at least 50 calving records, either in Ireland or in the country of origin of the bull. 2016 list analysed
2016 is the 16th year that ICBF has published the spring active bull list. This year, there are 67 Irish-bred bulls on the list (see Table 1). Effectively this means that almost 90% of the bulls on our national dairy bull list were bred in Ireland.
This wasn’t always the case. In 2001 there were just two bulls on the list bred in Ireland.
This trend started to change around 2009 when the first of the Gene Ireland Irish progeny tested bulls started to come through. This year’s list is made up of 72 Holstein/Friesian and three Jersey bulls.
The 75 bulls have breeding values for EBI and the seven sub-indices, together with trait information on 10 key profit traits. None of the bulls on the list are carriers of genetic defects – for example, CVM or BLAD.
EBI
The 75 bulls on the list have an average EBI of €293. The EBIs on the list range from €365 to €268. Seventy-three percent of the bulls on the list are genomic bulls, with the remainder being daughter-proven, either in Ireland (20%) or from abroad (7%) – see Table 3.
Important advice
It is important to note the source of a bull’s proof when choosing sires from the list. A bull may have received its proof based on data recorded on its own daughter’s performance (milk records, calving fertility and health data) or it may be a genomically selected bull.
Genomically selected means that the bull’s DNA profile has been analysed and the figures that you see are based on those findings. Farmers should pay particular attention to the reliability of a bull’s proof.
In order to be able to balance the risk of using a bull with low reliability together with the tremendous genetic gains, farmers are strongly urged to use a minimum of five AI bulls from the list.
Availability of list
The 2016 active bull list is available on the ICBF website (www.icbf.com) The total list of active AI sires, together with their supplier, availability and price details is also available at the above website.
Read more
To read the full Spring Al Focus Supplement click here.
The EBI details of the 75 bulls on the list are based on the December 2015 genetic evaluations computed by ICBF. Semen from all of the bulls has been indicated as being available by the various AI companies, hence the term active bull list.
The criteria for making the list is as follows:
Bull is approved for “widespread use”.EBIs with reliabilities greater than or equal to 35%.Calving difficulty evaluations with reliabilities greater than or equal to 70% and at least 50 calving records, either in Ireland or in the country of origin of the bull. 2016 list analysed
2016 is the 16th year that ICBF has published the spring active bull list. This year, there are 67 Irish-bred bulls on the list (see Table 1). Effectively this means that almost 90% of the bulls on our national dairy bull list were bred in Ireland.
This wasn’t always the case. In 2001 there were just two bulls on the list bred in Ireland.
This trend started to change around 2009 when the first of the Gene Ireland Irish progeny tested bulls started to come through. This year’s list is made up of 72 Holstein/Friesian and three Jersey bulls.
The 75 bulls have breeding values for EBI and the seven sub-indices, together with trait information on 10 key profit traits. None of the bulls on the list are carriers of genetic defects – for example, CVM or BLAD.
EBI
The 75 bulls on the list have an average EBI of €293. The EBIs on the list range from €365 to €268. Seventy-three percent of the bulls on the list are genomic bulls, with the remainder being daughter-proven, either in Ireland (20%) or from abroad (7%) – see Table 3.
Important advice
It is important to note the source of a bull’s proof when choosing sires from the list. A bull may have received its proof based on data recorded on its own daughter’s performance (milk records, calving fertility and health data) or it may be a genomically selected bull.
Genomically selected means that the bull’s DNA profile has been analysed and the figures that you see are based on those findings. Farmers should pay particular attention to the reliability of a bull’s proof.
In order to be able to balance the risk of using a bull with low reliability together with the tremendous genetic gains, farmers are strongly urged to use a minimum of five AI bulls from the list.
Availability of list
The 2016 active bull list is available on the ICBF website (www.icbf.com) The total list of active AI sires, together with their supplier, availability and price details is also available at the above website.
Read more
To read the full Spring Al Focus Supplement click here.
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