Dairy Gene Ireland is the national dairy breeding programme in Ireland and it forms an extremely important part of the dairy industry. The aim of Dairy Gene Ireland is to provide dairy farmers with the best genetics through a coordinated progeny testing programme. Now in its 16th year, it has delivered over €200m to Irish dairy farmers through increased genetic gain.
A national breeding programme is essential to ensure there is a supply of top genetic bulls from a wide range of high-EBI sires. This will allow farmers to increase profitability from breeding over time. The success of the programme is built on the national cattle breeding database, which stores information across many traits for millions of animals. The programme collects data efficiently, by having a direct link between the farmer and the national database.
Since the formation of the programme in 2005, it has contributed significantly to the increased rate of genetic gain in the national dairy herd. This can be clearly seen in Figure 1.
How it works?
Young genomic sires are put forward by the participating AI companies. These young bulls are sourced from Irish farms and come from high genetic merit sires and dams. Semen from these high-EBI sires is distributed to participating herds in packs of straws, through sales reps and AI technicians.
Farmers that use these straws must partake in milk recording and recording high levels of data, such as insemination dates, sire details and calving surveys. They must also provide any health information as it becomes available on daughters of these bulls. This ensures these sires achieve high reliabilities in as short a time frame as possible.
For most farmers, this information is already being recorded, so little additional work is needed.
Benefits of the programme for farmers
The benefits for farmers taking part in the programme include excellent value for money and access to some of the highest-EBI young sires available, which speeds up the rate of genetic gain in their own herd. It also provides an opportunity to be involved in a programme that is delivering real benefits for the dairy industry.
Participating herds are also a source of genetics for the breeding programme. As they are the first farmers to use the highest genetic merit bulls based on genomics, these herds are of great interest to AI companies sourcing young animals for the breeding programme.
These herds are also attractive from an AI company’s perspective, as they record good information on their cows, with an ever-increasing number of these herds also genotyping their females.
Contribution of Gene Ireland bulls
To date, almost 800 bulls have been tested through Dairy Gene Ireland, with over 400,000 straws distributed across several thousand herds. Bulls tested through Dairy Gene Ireland have contributed over 18,000 milk-recorded daughters, achieving an average EBI reliability of 81%.
The ongoing collection of data is vital to the accuracy of genetic and genomic evaluations for dairy bulls. The information gathered by participating herds usually forms the basis of the first proof for AI bulls.
Getting an accurate first proof is essential, as these sires can then be used in the genomic training population, as well as being considered as potential sires for the next generation of elite young bulls.
Foreign sires dominated the active bull list in the early years. Over time, sires were increasingly sourced domestically. The fact that over 90% of sires tested through the programme today are Irish-bred, as shown in Figure 2, is an indication of the success of Dairy Gene Ireland.
Spring programme 2020
This year, the target is to test 60 young genomic bulls. The breed packs available are Holstein-Friesian, Pure Friesian and a Multi-breed pack. The Multi-breed pack is a combination of Holstein/Friesian, Norwegian Red, Jersey and Jersey cross-bred bulls.
The average EBI of these packs are displayed in Table 1. Straws are available in packs of 25 (5 bulls x 5 straws), 35 (5 bulls x 7 straws) and 50 (5 bulls x 10 straws). The cost is €8.50 per straw.
If you are interested, contact either ICBF on 023 882 0452, or your breeding adviser. A sign-up form (available on the ICBF website) can also be completed and returned to Gene Ireland, ICBF, Highfield House, Bandon, Co Cork.
The increased involvement of farmers in the programme will result in more bulls getting tested, which will, in turn, increase the rate of genetic gain of the national dairy herd.
The Dairy Gene Ireland programme records information on traits of economic importance for the genetic evaluation of dairy bulls.
Since 2005, the programme has contributed significantly to the increased rate of genetic gain in the national dairy herd. It costs €8.50 per straw and the average pack EBI of the HO/FR bulls is €200 more than the national herd average.If you would like to take part in the programme, or if you have any questions, call the ICBF HerdPlus Team on 023 882 0452.
Dairy Gene Ireland is the national dairy breeding programme in Ireland and it forms an extremely important part of the dairy industry. The aim of Dairy Gene Ireland is to provide dairy farmers with the best genetics through a coordinated progeny testing programme. Now in its 16th year, it has delivered over €200m to Irish dairy farmers through increased genetic gain.
A national breeding programme is essential to ensure there is a supply of top genetic bulls from a wide range of high-EBI sires. This will allow farmers to increase profitability from breeding over time. The success of the programme is built on the national cattle breeding database, which stores information across many traits for millions of animals. The programme collects data efficiently, by having a direct link between the farmer and the national database.
Since the formation of the programme in 2005, it has contributed significantly to the increased rate of genetic gain in the national dairy herd. This can be clearly seen in Figure 1.
How it works?
Young genomic sires are put forward by the participating AI companies. These young bulls are sourced from Irish farms and come from high genetic merit sires and dams. Semen from these high-EBI sires is distributed to participating herds in packs of straws, through sales reps and AI technicians.
Farmers that use these straws must partake in milk recording and recording high levels of data, such as insemination dates, sire details and calving surveys. They must also provide any health information as it becomes available on daughters of these bulls. This ensures these sires achieve high reliabilities in as short a time frame as possible.
For most farmers, this information is already being recorded, so little additional work is needed.
Benefits of the programme for farmers
The benefits for farmers taking part in the programme include excellent value for money and access to some of the highest-EBI young sires available, which speeds up the rate of genetic gain in their own herd. It also provides an opportunity to be involved in a programme that is delivering real benefits for the dairy industry.
Participating herds are also a source of genetics for the breeding programme. As they are the first farmers to use the highest genetic merit bulls based on genomics, these herds are of great interest to AI companies sourcing young animals for the breeding programme.
These herds are also attractive from an AI company’s perspective, as they record good information on their cows, with an ever-increasing number of these herds also genotyping their females.
Contribution of Gene Ireland bulls
To date, almost 800 bulls have been tested through Dairy Gene Ireland, with over 400,000 straws distributed across several thousand herds. Bulls tested through Dairy Gene Ireland have contributed over 18,000 milk-recorded daughters, achieving an average EBI reliability of 81%.
The ongoing collection of data is vital to the accuracy of genetic and genomic evaluations for dairy bulls. The information gathered by participating herds usually forms the basis of the first proof for AI bulls.
Getting an accurate first proof is essential, as these sires can then be used in the genomic training population, as well as being considered as potential sires for the next generation of elite young bulls.
Foreign sires dominated the active bull list in the early years. Over time, sires were increasingly sourced domestically. The fact that over 90% of sires tested through the programme today are Irish-bred, as shown in Figure 2, is an indication of the success of Dairy Gene Ireland.
Spring programme 2020
This year, the target is to test 60 young genomic bulls. The breed packs available are Holstein-Friesian, Pure Friesian and a Multi-breed pack. The Multi-breed pack is a combination of Holstein/Friesian, Norwegian Red, Jersey and Jersey cross-bred bulls.
The average EBI of these packs are displayed in Table 1. Straws are available in packs of 25 (5 bulls x 5 straws), 35 (5 bulls x 7 straws) and 50 (5 bulls x 10 straws). The cost is €8.50 per straw.
If you are interested, contact either ICBF on 023 882 0452, or your breeding adviser. A sign-up form (available on the ICBF website) can also be completed and returned to Gene Ireland, ICBF, Highfield House, Bandon, Co Cork.
The increased involvement of farmers in the programme will result in more bulls getting tested, which will, in turn, increase the rate of genetic gain of the national dairy herd.
The Dairy Gene Ireland programme records information on traits of economic importance for the genetic evaluation of dairy bulls.
Since 2005, the programme has contributed significantly to the increased rate of genetic gain in the national dairy herd. It costs €8.50 per straw and the average pack EBI of the HO/FR bulls is €200 more than the national herd average.If you would like to take part in the programme, or if you have any questions, call the ICBF HerdPlus Team on 023 882 0452. 
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