Teagasc has commenced a pilot project with Dawn Meats to evaluate the opportunities and value of bull calves from the dairy herd.

Teagasc and Dawn Meats will buy, rear and finish dairy beef calves. The bull calves will be pure Holstein and Jersey-cross Holstein calves.

All purchasing and rearing costs will be recorded, and all output such as carcase yield measured.

The steers will be slaughtered at between 20 and 24 months of age.

Calf genotype project

In another development, Meat Industry Ireland (MII) and Dairy Industry Ireland (DII) are partnering with the Department of Agriculture, Teagasc and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) to establish a calf genotype pilot project.

The aim is to work with herds that already have dairy cows genotyped and get their male calves born this spring genotyped.

Aims

One of the objectives is to build a database and industry infrastructure to collect calf genotype results.

In the future, the industry may move to collecting genotype results at birth on all calves to establish the genetic potential and parentage of calves.

This current trial will establish the logistics and turnaround time for genotype results.

Results from previous trials put the turnaround time at 18 days. A number of rearing farms have also been established to rear calves as part of this project.

Meanwhile, another Teagasc study of sexed semen is to go ahead this spring.

A 2018 study found that timing of insemination is critical to conception success with sexed semen.

The 2019 study will use timed sexed semen on synchronised cows to find the most successful method.

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