An Angus bull made available to members of Aberdeen Angus Quality Beef (AAQB) Ltd, is consistently delivering 10% performance improvements compared to conventional beef sires, attendees at an annual open day held on the Foyle finishing unit last Friday were told.
Rawburn Enron was made available to AAQB members in 2021.
The animal was in the top 1% of the breed for both terminal and self-replacing index, and was the second bull offered in the scheme, following another top 1% bull, Elliot Bravo, purchased by Foyle Food Group in 2019.
A third sire, Rawburn Jin Eric, can also be used by AAQB members as part of the Foyle Superior Genetics Programme.
Commercial
To show what is possible in a commercial situation when good genetics are used, Andrew Clarke from Foyle highlighted the performance of a group of spring 2024-born Angus steers from the farm’s 200-cow hill suckler herd. This herd is made up of mainly Blue Grey, Galloway and Angus cows, put to top 1% Angus stock bulls.
After their first winter, the steers were paddock grazed on the lowland farm outside Cookstown. They were housed on 23 July for finishing, averaging 514kg. The group was weighed again on 26 September and averaged 650kg. That is a growth rate since housing of 2.1kg and a lifetime daily weight gain of 1.27kg. The animals are to be slaughtered this week, and are expected to average around 360kg deadweight at 17 months.
“The steers got no meal up to housing and were well grazed in paddocks this summer. It just shows the benefit of the better genetics,” said Clarke.
Semen from Rawburn Enron is available to AAQB suppliers.
Straws
Also speaking at the event, Eamon Kelly from AAQB said that as well as free AI straws from the three superior genetics bulls being available to suppliers, the offer also extended to dairy farmers who are producing calves for an AAQB member to finish.
AAQB is also continuing with a £900 payment to members towards the cost of purchasing a performance recorded stock bull. To avail of the payment the bull must have a terminal index of at least 40, or a self-replacing index of at least 50, in the Angus Breedplan ratings. Alternatively, it should be five-star rated within breed, for either replacements or dairy beef, in the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) system.
The £900 payment is made in two instalments, with £300 paid out when the bull is purchased and £600 when the first calves are registered, explained Kelly.
An Angus bull made available to members of Aberdeen Angus Quality Beef (AAQB) Ltd, is consistently delivering 10% performance improvements compared to conventional beef sires, attendees at an annual open day held on the Foyle finishing unit last Friday were told.
Rawburn Enron was made available to AAQB members in 2021.
The animal was in the top 1% of the breed for both terminal and self-replacing index, and was the second bull offered in the scheme, following another top 1% bull, Elliot Bravo, purchased by Foyle Food Group in 2019.
A third sire, Rawburn Jin Eric, can also be used by AAQB members as part of the Foyle Superior Genetics Programme.
Commercial
To show what is possible in a commercial situation when good genetics are used, Andrew Clarke from Foyle highlighted the performance of a group of spring 2024-born Angus steers from the farm’s 200-cow hill suckler herd. This herd is made up of mainly Blue Grey, Galloway and Angus cows, put to top 1% Angus stock bulls.
After their first winter, the steers were paddock grazed on the lowland farm outside Cookstown. They were housed on 23 July for finishing, averaging 514kg. The group was weighed again on 26 September and averaged 650kg. That is a growth rate since housing of 2.1kg and a lifetime daily weight gain of 1.27kg. The animals are to be slaughtered this week, and are expected to average around 360kg deadweight at 17 months.
“The steers got no meal up to housing and were well grazed in paddocks this summer. It just shows the benefit of the better genetics,” said Clarke.
Semen from Rawburn Enron is available to AAQB suppliers.
Straws
Also speaking at the event, Eamon Kelly from AAQB said that as well as free AI straws from the three superior genetics bulls being available to suppliers, the offer also extended to dairy farmers who are producing calves for an AAQB member to finish.
AAQB is also continuing with a £900 payment to members towards the cost of purchasing a performance recorded stock bull. To avail of the payment the bull must have a terminal index of at least 40, or a self-replacing index of at least 50, in the Angus Breedplan ratings. Alternatively, it should be five-star rated within breed, for either replacements or dairy beef, in the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) system.
The £900 payment is made in two instalments, with £300 paid out when the bull is purchased and £600 when the first calves are registered, explained Kelly.
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