The number of HerdPlus members that used the Sire Advice application has increased from 2,557 herds in 2018 to 2,740 herds in 2019, an increase of 7% (see table below). This incorporates almost 295,000 animals. Of these, 254,251 (86%) received a mating to a Holstein Friesian AI bull and 18,271 (6%) received a Jersey AI bull. This year there were also 5,867 animals marked to receive a beef insemination. The remainder of animals were either marked for culling or selective sire matings.
We would encourage herds that have not yet ran the sire advice to do so ahead of their breeding season. The advised matings can be sent to a technician’s handheld or printed on a breeding chart. Also, if using Beef AI, choose bulls with the highest Dairy Beef Index (DBI). The top 75 bulls on DBI can be found here.
If you require any assistance in running sire advice, please contact the HerdPlus office on 023-8820452.