Herds participating in the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP) that use a stock bull(s) are required to have at least one eligible stock bull in the herd on 30 June 2019. These herds are also required to have an eligible stock bull on 30 June 2020. If you use 100% AI and do not keep a stock bull, this requirement is not applicable to your herd.
What is a stock bull?
Sounds like a silly question, right? Every farmer will identify their stock bull as the bull that they use to get their cows in calf each year. Think about it from ICBF’s point of view though. Trying to identify the stock bull in some herds may not be easy. Take a pedigree herd for example where there may be a number of breeding males in the herd at any one time. For the purposes of BDGP, a stock bull is defined as:
- A pedigree beef male over 12 months of age
- And/or any beef male with progeny.
What is an eligible stock bull?
Having identified the potential stock bull(s) in a herd, ICBF then checks the BDGP eligibility status of the bull. For a stock bull to be BDGP eligible it must be 4 or 5-stars on the Replacement and/or Terminal Index, within and/or across breed:
- On its first genomic evaluation.
- Or its genomic evaluation at the time of purchase.
A stock bull will not be eligible if it does not have a genomic evaluation.
How can I check if my stock bull is BDGP eligible?
The BDGP eligibility report which is available on www.icbf.com will tell you the eligibility status of your bull. If you do not have a bull currently and intend purchasing a new bull prior to your next breeding season, you should ensure that any potential new bull has a genomic Euro-Star index and that it is an eligible bull (4 or 5-stars on the Replacement or Terminal Index, within and/or across breed).
For more information on eligible stock bulls or any other element of the BDGP, please call 023/8820452 or email [email protected].