Dairy Beef Calf Programme
The purpose of this scheme is to support beef farmers who are rearing calves from the dairy herd and to facilitate further the integration of the dairy and beef sectors. (more…)
Applying for an AI Code
In line with EU Animal Breeding Regulations bulls to be used for purebred breeding must be sire and dam parentage verified before an AI code is issued. (more…)
Frequently Asked Questions – Genotyping
On a recent social media post, we asked our followers to send on any questions they had around genotyping. Below is a brief synopsis of the main questions asked and their corresponding answers.
Breeding for low heritability traits can achieve real results
A common misconception is that breeding should not be pursued as a method for improving health or fertility traits due to their low heritability. Low heritability does not mean the trait cannot be improved. Low heritability simply signifies that much more records are required to achieve the same rate of genetic gain as high heritability trait (e.g., carcass weight or milk yield). (more…)
What is EBI?
EBI is a single figure profit index aimed at helping farmers identify the most profitable bulls and cows for breeding dairy herd replacements. It comprises of information on eight sub-indexes related to profitable milk production. These are; (1) Milk Production, (2) Fertility, (3) Calving Performance, (4) Beef Carcass (5) Carbon, Cow Maintenance (6) Health, (7) Maintenance and (8) Management. A summary of the sub-indexes, including traits and relative weightings for traits in the EBI is displayed in Chart 1, e.g. Fertility has a 25% weighting in the EBI. Economic values in the index are based on data collected from Irish Dairy Farms and the Dairy Industry. These values were last updated in November 2022.
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