News

Polledness is a trait of increasing importance to beef producers for a multitude of reasons. While animal welfare issues attached to dehorning are a key driver for some producers involved with horned breeds to select for poll genetics (more…)

So you have signed up to the Beef Environmental Efficiency Pilot (BEEP). So what next? How do you register your weighing scales and how do you record your animals weights? (more…)

Gene Ireland is the name given to the national dairy breeding programme and is a key component of the Irish Dairy Industry. The aim of Gene Ireland is to provide dairy farmers with new genetics through a coordinated progeny test programme. (more…)

The ‘Stockbull Finder’ is the ICBF’s online Bull Sales section on the ICBF website. Only bulls from WHPR herds that have been weighed and scored will be included.So for a beef pedigree breeder – your young bulls will be constantly advertised for sale, while they are in your herd. (more…)

There are over 400 herds signed-up to the Dairy Gene Ireland Programme to date. Postal and telephone sign-ups are ongoing. (more…)

The Beef Evaluation guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of what goes into the Terminal and Replacement €urostar Indexes. (more…)

With the breeding season now only weeks away, farmers are starting to make decisions on what bulls to use this Spring. To get a better understanding of the best advice to follow, it would be useful to study the attached slides which are summarised in the text below. (more…)

Through selective breeding, gains have been made in both Terminal and Replacement traits in beef cattle in Ireland. This usually happens through the identification and proliferation of superior lines for traits of interest. Consequently, a smaller number of animals get selected which can lead to a reduction in genetic diversity in a population. (more…)