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An analysis of the relative performance of 240 Angus cattle out of the top-performing sire, Elliot Bravo T452, when compared against the average of all other Angus cattle, continues to show the benefits of utilising high genetic merit bulls.
Bravo, a March 2017-born bull, was bought by Foyle Food Group in 2019, with semen made available to members of Aberdeen Angus Quality Beef (AAQB) Ltd.
The animal is the top 1% of the breed for many traits including gestation length and 200-, 400 – and 600-day weights. The bull has a Terminal Index of 55 and a Maternal Index of 80.
To compare performance, cold carcase weight and age at slaughter were used, with the analysis limited to cattle that were reared and finished on the farm of origin.
The relative performance of Bravo-sired dairy steers was 8.8% higher than other Angus-cross dairy steers, while for suckler-bred steers the Bravo-sired animals were 13.5% ahead of compatriots.
Feed efficiency
In 2021, a second bull, Rawburn Enron W127 was made available to AAQB members. As well as being in the top 1% of the breed for various terminal traits, Enron’s feed efficiency was trialled during his time at the Rawburn herd in Scotland. This work should that he required only 3.21kg of dry matter to produce 1kg of liveweight gain.
For more information on the AAQB scheme, contact Eamon Kelly on 07813 176 939.
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