When the umpire stretches out an arm to award our club football team a 45’, Meath inter-county keeper Paddy O’Rourke usually strokes it over with ease. However, an injury forced Paddy out of our last championship outing. Late in the first half, the inevitable 45’ came. Up stepped yours truly; a mass groan was immediately audible.

“Have we no one else?”

I didn’t really know what I was at, but tried to look like I did. A little Johnny Wilkinson-esque routine materialised. Hands clasped in prayer – literally, one step, two steps and bang; I swung with all my might. Amazingly, the ball dissected the posts and could’ve gone over twice. There was no cheer, just a giddy murmur. After a subtle fist-pump I jogged back to the defence.

The following Tuesday in training I took 10 more and didn’t come within 20 yards of the goal.

Reliability is king.

Crucifixion by calving

Our first heifers by Simmental bull Curaheen Apostle (APZ) have calved this year. This is a bull that has gone from 4.5 maternal stars to one star in the space of three years.

Apostle is being crucified on his daughters’ calving difficulty.

Back when he had stars to burn, his potential daughters had a projected calving difficulty of 6.1% – just over six in every 100 calvings would be difficult.

This is in and around the sort of value that we’re looking for.

Now, his “daughter calving difficulty” figure is 15.2%.

To put such a figure in perspective, you need to look at the Belgian Blue breed to find a value higher than 10% in my current AI catalogue and, even at that, many Blues score below APZ’s 15.2%.

Back in the day, APZ was pushed as a source of replacements – at an overall maternal index reliability of 46% and a “daughter calving difficulty” reliability of just 5%.

A quote from the 2013 catalogue: “All the characteristics needed to make the perfect suckler cow.”

Hindsight may be a great thing, but this statement was a complete shot in the dark.

Though not all of our APZ heifers were difficult, the jack was under enough pressure to raise an eyelid. Even the easiest-calving Limousin sires didn’t come as smooth as we’d like from them.

Caution

The utmost caution must be exercised when choosing sires. Not enough emphasis is being placed on bull reliability in my opinion.

Choose a high-reliability bull (85% +) that will give you a four-star (maternal) calf; this is the threshold we need to meet.

It’s a simple sum, taking into account the cow’s own value – in many cases the bull can be a three- or two-star. Once the average maternal index value of the two parents is €74, we’re laughing.

Don’t take a risk with reliability, in football or farming.