More and more Irish beef farmers are incorporating AI into their breeding policies. Although a lot of stock bulls are producing top-class progeny, very few provide the complete package. Most suckler herds need to produce both calves that will grow well and perform on the grid or in the ring, and calves that will come into their own as fertile, milky cows. Given the tight margins that suckler enterprises work from, compromising on either of the above is not something a progressive herd can afford to do.
Broadly, using AI provides:
Flexibility – in that we can choose a sire to suit each individual cow. Accuracy – in that we have access to proven sires with high levels of reliability surrounding their figures. Quality – in that farmers have access to superior genetics and well-heralded bloodlines. What the BDGP has done is raised awareness about the faults of the Irish suckler herd. We have become obsessed with shape, colour and top lines and forgotten about what matters – the bottom line. The average Irish heifer calves too late, has insufficient milk and is poor on fertility. Within all breeds there has been an emergence of maternal genetics that can help to boost performance in these areas and improve cow efficiency. AI offers immediate access to these genetics.
There are very few farms out there for which some level of AI breeding is completely unrealistic based on infrastructure.
While the prospect of heat detection and rounding up bulling cows is daunting for some, they needn’t be mammoth tasks. The various aids available to help with heat detection were profiled and evaluated in the recent Irish Suckler Farmer magazine and many AI-based suckler farmers swear by their usefulness.
There are very few farms out there for which some level of AI breeding is completely unrealistic based on infrastructure. Small and often temporary changes and installations can help to facilitate AI endeavours. Synchronisation strategies are also growing in popularity and have the potential to greatly reduce the labour involved with AI breeding.
In this Focus feature, we profile a Sligo-based weanling producer who has made the switch to 100% AI breeding and is delighted with the results. Then, we examine popular sires from two leading Irish AI companies and offer advice on matching them with various types of animals.
More and more Irish beef farmers are incorporating AI into their breeding policies. Although a lot of stock bulls are producing top-class progeny, very few provide the complete package. Most suckler herds need to produce both calves that will grow well and perform on the grid or in the ring, and calves that will come into their own as fertile, milky cows. Given the tight margins that suckler enterprises work from, compromising on either of the above is not something a progressive herd can afford to do.
Broadly, using AI provides:
Flexibility – in that we can choose a sire to suit each individual cow. Accuracy – in that we have access to proven sires with high levels of reliability surrounding their figures. Quality – in that farmers have access to superior genetics and well-heralded bloodlines. What the BDGP has done is raised awareness about the faults of the Irish suckler herd. We have become obsessed with shape, colour and top lines and forgotten about what matters – the bottom line. The average Irish heifer calves too late, has insufficient milk and is poor on fertility. Within all breeds there has been an emergence of maternal genetics that can help to boost performance in these areas and improve cow efficiency. AI offers immediate access to these genetics.
There are very few farms out there for which some level of AI breeding is completely unrealistic based on infrastructure.
While the prospect of heat detection and rounding up bulling cows is daunting for some, they needn’t be mammoth tasks. The various aids available to help with heat detection were profiled and evaluated in the recent Irish Suckler Farmer magazine and many AI-based suckler farmers swear by their usefulness.
There are very few farms out there for which some level of AI breeding is completely unrealistic based on infrastructure. Small and often temporary changes and installations can help to facilitate AI endeavours. Synchronisation strategies are also growing in popularity and have the potential to greatly reduce the labour involved with AI breeding.
In this Focus feature, we profile a Sligo-based weanling producer who has made the switch to 100% AI breeding and is delighted with the results. Then, we examine popular sires from two leading Irish AI companies and offer advice on matching them with various types of animals.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: