Do you want to breed super weanlings or are you slaughtering all the progeny from your suckler cows without keeping any replacements?

If the answer is yes to these questions, that means you should be looking at the ICBF terminal AI active bull list to make your sire choices.

This list is updated three times annually and contains hundreds of the top bulls in Irish AI. The list is ranked on terminal index value, so, in theory, the bull at the top of the list should leave the most money by breeding animals of higher genetic value.

1 Giga Du Bois Remont

Top of the list for a number of runs now has been the Belgian Blue bull Giga Du Bois Remont (RGG) from the Dovea Genetics stud in Tipperary, with a terminal index of €186. Calving difficulty is 10.3% and this may curtail his use on some farms. Carcase weight traits are +40kg, which is quite high. He is currently in high supply and costs €10/straw. RGG currently has 1,086 calving records in the database.

2 Knockmoyle Loki (CH4159)

In second spot is the Charolais bull Knockmoyle Loki. Loki is sired by the famous Pirate and goes back to a CF52 dam. He is another Dovea bull and comes in with a terminal index of €180. His calving figure comes in at 7.1% and his carcase weight is 47kg. Progeny numbers are low, with 373 calving records currently in the system. He is widely available and costs €10/straw.

3 Bivouac (CH2218)

First

Taking up third spot is the French-bred Charolais Bivouac, who is available through Dovea Genetics. Bivouac has a terminal index of €179, a calving difficulty figure of 4.1% and a carcase weight figure of 47kg. There are currently 680 calving records in the system. He is widely available and costs €10/straw.

4 Thrunton Fairfax (CH4035)

Next on the list is the Charolais bull Thrunton Fairfax, marketed by Eurogene AI. Thrunton Fairfax has a terminal index of €175, a calving difficulty figure of 6.7% and a very high carcase weight figure of 53kg. Progeny records are low, with just 59 calving records currently in the ICBF database. He is widely available, but comes in at a higher price of €39/straw.

5 First ( CH2216)

First

Fifth is the Progressive Genetics Charolais bull First. Another French-bred bull, he has a terminal index of €174 and a calving difficulty figure of 4.1%, which makes him suitable for those looking for an easy-calving bull. His carcase weight figure comes in at 45kg. His progeny figures are still low, with just 108 calving records. He is widely available, but is priced at the higher end of the market at €38/straw.