Dairylink Ireland farmers are using selection criteria to pick sires ahead of breeding beginning on programme farms at the end of next month.
Both the estimated breeding index (EBI) and the profitable lifetime index (PLI) are being used. There are different weightings for traits in each index and sires cannot be compared between the two indices.
Most programme farmers are initially screening bulls for overall index value, production sub-index for milk, kilos of fat and protein and fertility sub-index. Too much criteria in an initial screening in either system can make it difficult to find any suitable bulls, so additional variables can be added in to narrow it down afterwards.
Programme adviser Conail Keown says that fertility and milk components are a focus on most Dairylink farms, as milk volume is not an issue. He points out that milk recording results can show yield potentials of over 9,000 litres. However, high calving intervals mean actual milk sold is significantly less than this.
While factors such as heat detection and herd health are important, using the best sires to deliver fertility improvements is the priority on programme farms.
The main weightings for EBI are 35% for fertility, 33% production and 10% for calving. Typical criteria for initial screening on programme farms are EBI of over €230, production sub-index greater than €100 and combined fat and protein over 30kg.
Within the PLI list, a new autumn calving index (ACI) is available this year and is more suited to block-calving herds, as there is more weighting towards fertility, fat and protein and life span.
ACI has 30.4% of its weight for production, 21.4% fertility, 18% lifespan and 14.1% for maintenance. The criteria for Dairylink farms include ACI over £500, combined fat and protein over 40kg and fertility sub-index greater than 12.
Weekly roundup
Slurry spreading finished on NI farms ahead of the closed period starting on 16 October.Ground conditions have held up well, despite heavy rain on Saturday.Most Dairylink farmers still have cows at grass during the day.Sires for use on project farms during the 2018/19 breeding season are being selected.Farmer focus: John Oliver, Limavady, Co Derry
There will be 90 cows and 35 maiden heifers for service on John Oliver’s farm this winter. The plan is for breeding of eligible cows and all heifers to begin from 25 November.
John has a fairly tight autumn-calving profile and fertility is not an issue, with 60% of cows calving down in the first six weeks this year.
He established his dairy herd by buying in cows from several sources four years ago and the calving profile was more spread in the past. Since then, he has delayed calving by three weeks and, at the other end, has been letting later calvers leave the herd.
Hormone treatments, such as PRIDs and prostaglandin, were also used on around 40 cows last year to get them coming on heat and in-calf earlier. John points out that lactation yield in some cows took a hit because they had fewer days in milk, but he said it was worthwhile, as it tightened the calving profile while limiting the number of cows that had to leave the herd.
The plan this year is to monitor heats from 1 November and get the vet to examine any eligible cows that have not cycled by the start of breeding. All cows have Heatime collars to monitor heat detection.
The maiden heifers have no collars and John is planning to use prostaglandin-based synchronisation. After six days of watching heats and AI, all heifers not served will get a shot of prostaglandin and will be inseminated as they show signs of heat. A beef stock bull will then be introduced around day 11 to sweep up.
Sire selection
Sires to be used in the upcoming breeding season were finalised last week. John has selected six sires to spread the risk of indices dropping for some bulls over time.
He is aiming for 30 replacement heifer calves coming forward to maintain cow numbers around the 90 mark. To get 30 heifer calves, he will need to use at least 120 AI straws (4:1); some farmers use a 5:1 ratio.
John is breeding for fertility and improved milk components while keeping milk yields at their current level. Introducing Jersey genetics to quickly lift solids was an option.
However, there is enough potential in the herd to increase milk components by using high-EBI black and white bulls.
Bulls selected for the 2018/19 breeding season are outlined in Table 1. Parker will be used solely on heifers, as his gestation length is -5.78 days and calving difficulty direct is 1.6%. Lower-yielding and higher-solids bulls, such as Eimer and Maestro, will be targeted at cows with more extreme Holstein genetics.
Read more
Dairylink: field work finishing as days shorten
Dairylink : options for dry cows on project farms
Dairylink Ireland farmers are using selection criteria to pick sires ahead of breeding beginning on programme farms at the end of next month.
Both the estimated breeding index (EBI) and the profitable lifetime index (PLI) are being used. There are different weightings for traits in each index and sires cannot be compared between the two indices.
Most programme farmers are initially screening bulls for overall index value, production sub-index for milk, kilos of fat and protein and fertility sub-index. Too much criteria in an initial screening in either system can make it difficult to find any suitable bulls, so additional variables can be added in to narrow it down afterwards.
Programme adviser Conail Keown says that fertility and milk components are a focus on most Dairylink farms, as milk volume is not an issue. He points out that milk recording results can show yield potentials of over 9,000 litres. However, high calving intervals mean actual milk sold is significantly less than this.
While factors such as heat detection and herd health are important, using the best sires to deliver fertility improvements is the priority on programme farms.
The main weightings for EBI are 35% for fertility, 33% production and 10% for calving. Typical criteria for initial screening on programme farms are EBI of over €230, production sub-index greater than €100 and combined fat and protein over 30kg.
Within the PLI list, a new autumn calving index (ACI) is available this year and is more suited to block-calving herds, as there is more weighting towards fertility, fat and protein and life span.
ACI has 30.4% of its weight for production, 21.4% fertility, 18% lifespan and 14.1% for maintenance. The criteria for Dairylink farms include ACI over £500, combined fat and protein over 40kg and fertility sub-index greater than 12.
Weekly roundup
Slurry spreading finished on NI farms ahead of the closed period starting on 16 October.Ground conditions have held up well, despite heavy rain on Saturday.Most Dairylink farmers still have cows at grass during the day.Sires for use on project farms during the 2018/19 breeding season are being selected.Farmer focus: John Oliver, Limavady, Co Derry
There will be 90 cows and 35 maiden heifers for service on John Oliver’s farm this winter. The plan is for breeding of eligible cows and all heifers to begin from 25 November.
John has a fairly tight autumn-calving profile and fertility is not an issue, with 60% of cows calving down in the first six weeks this year.
He established his dairy herd by buying in cows from several sources four years ago and the calving profile was more spread in the past. Since then, he has delayed calving by three weeks and, at the other end, has been letting later calvers leave the herd.
Hormone treatments, such as PRIDs and prostaglandin, were also used on around 40 cows last year to get them coming on heat and in-calf earlier. John points out that lactation yield in some cows took a hit because they had fewer days in milk, but he said it was worthwhile, as it tightened the calving profile while limiting the number of cows that had to leave the herd.
The plan this year is to monitor heats from 1 November and get the vet to examine any eligible cows that have not cycled by the start of breeding. All cows have Heatime collars to monitor heat detection.
The maiden heifers have no collars and John is planning to use prostaglandin-based synchronisation. After six days of watching heats and AI, all heifers not served will get a shot of prostaglandin and will be inseminated as they show signs of heat. A beef stock bull will then be introduced around day 11 to sweep up.
Sire selection
Sires to be used in the upcoming breeding season were finalised last week. John has selected six sires to spread the risk of indices dropping for some bulls over time.
He is aiming for 30 replacement heifer calves coming forward to maintain cow numbers around the 90 mark. To get 30 heifer calves, he will need to use at least 120 AI straws (4:1); some farmers use a 5:1 ratio.
John is breeding for fertility and improved milk components while keeping milk yields at their current level. Introducing Jersey genetics to quickly lift solids was an option.
However, there is enough potential in the herd to increase milk components by using high-EBI black and white bulls.
Bulls selected for the 2018/19 breeding season are outlined in Table 1. Parker will be used solely on heifers, as his gestation length is -5.78 days and calving difficulty direct is 1.6%. Lower-yielding and higher-solids bulls, such as Eimer and Maestro, will be targeted at cows with more extreme Holstein genetics.
Read more
Dairylink: field work finishing as days shorten
Dairylink : options for dry cows on project farms
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