Countries where quota has never limited production such as the USA and New Zealand are now following higher fertility breeding indexes similar to Ireland as dairy farmers strive to improve the health and fertility of dairy cows.

The words of Donagh Berry, as he explained the advice for breeding in a post-quota Ireland, will be the same as those delivered over the last 10 years where milk quota limited production on farms.

The key message is better fertility is delivering more milk profitability than breeding for milk alone.

Farmers at the open day questioned if breeding traits would change when Ireland moves into a no-quota era but the researchers were adamant that the EBI in its current shape will deliver the most profitable cow for all systems post 2015.

Donagh highlighted that the EBI has more emphasis for milk production than both the US and Dutch breeding indexes. He also highlighted that herd health is the trait with next importance.

He said: “If we continue the same trends in genetic gain with the EBI, then fertility will no longer be a problem by 2025 and herd health traits will be the next selection trait that farmers need to focus on. That is where Irish researchers are turning to now in order to be ahead of farmers.”

The next generation herd was the key attraction on display at the Kilworth farm. This is an elite herd (top 1% on EBI) and a national average herd (Nat avg EBI) on trial. Both herds are on feeding system trials. In the control group, the elite herd were milking 27 litres at 4.1% fat and 3.57% protein (2.0kg MS) this week and the national average herd was milking 26 litres at 3.6% fat and 3.48% protein (1.8 kg MS).

The elite cows were in better body condition score across all feeding treatments compared with the national average cows (3.0 v 2.8). Over 90% of the elite herd were calved in six weeks versus 80% calved for the national average herd.