ICBF and Gene Ireland programme partners have recently launched the new Gene Ireland panel of high replacement index beef bulls for winter 2018.

Building on the results of previous programmes, these bulls have been selected on their potential to deliver in two key areas: to produce heifers which are fertile and will have an adequate level of milk, and to produce a heifer that will deliver a calf with good beef attributes for traits such as growth rate and conformation.

Dunard Navigator (AA4603).

This new panel of 16 bulls is made up of nine different beef breeds. The average replacement index of is €144. Straws cost €5 and are delivered direct to a farmer’s DIY tank or to and AI technician of their choice. The new panel of bulls is detailed in Table 1.

Knottown Roy (SA4604).

The Gene Ireland programme so far

Early results are very positive for the bulls which had semen dispatched in spring 2014. These were the first bulls selected by the Gene Ireland breed committees and are now crossing the 60% reliability mark for the replacement index.

Table 2 gives an example of six bulls that have gone through the Gene Ireland programme. On average, these six bulls have sired 21 daughters which have now calved themselves.

To date, they are proving to have produced profitable females retained by farmers for breeding and in many cases the calves’ on-farm performance has led to the sires' indexes increasing.

Furthermore, a lot of key data has been collected on their progeny, such as calving records and weaning weights.

One such bull that has come through the programme in recent years is Lisnacrann Demertios (LZZ). Bred in Co Mayo by Michael Oliver, this bull was identified for purchase via the Gene Ireland breed committee in autumn 2013 and 500 straws were distributed in spring 2014.

LZZ now has 205 daughters on the ground with an average Replacement Index of €110. The national average replacement index for first-calvers in 2017 was €82.

Lisnacrann Demertios (LZZ).

Further evidence of the momentum which is being built by the programme is the presence on the current panel of the bull Dunard Navigator. This bull is sired by the popular Carrigroe Kian (AA2064) who was purchased and distributed via Gene Ireland in 2015.

The identification of sons of previous Gene Ireland bulls is a core element of the breeding programme and plays a critical role in driving genetic gain and ultimately more profit at farm level.

Full Eurostar indexes are available on the animal search facility at www.icbf.com, while straws of the current and new Gene Ireland panel are available to order by contacting ICBF on 023-882 0452.