Padraig O’Connell runs a grass-based, spring-calving dairy herd in North Kerry. Since joining the DNA calf registration pilot programme in 2021, genotyping has become an integral part of his herd management.
“Genotyping the calves at registration has become the norm for us, and we’ve continued it under the National Genotyping Programme,” says Padraig.
Like many dairy farmers, he acknowledges the intense pace of calving season. “It’s incredibly hectic. When multiple calves are born each day, it’s easy to make mistakes with dam and sire records. Genotyping effortlessly corrects any errors, and I can be confident that each calf’s passport is accurate, as the parentage is verified by DNA.”
In spring 2025, the average turnaround time for DNA samples from Padraig’s farm was just 4.2 days.
Genotyping does more than verify parentage—it also enhances breeding decisions. “Genomic evaluations are central to everything we do,” he explains. “By identifying and correcting parentage errors and providing genomic indexes for each calf, we’ve seen the reliability of these indexes increase by 25–30%.”
This has led to significant re-ranking within his herd. “There was a lot of movement in terms of EBI and individual traits. Based on the genomic results, we selected AI bulls tailored to complement the strengths and weaknesses of each heifer’s index. We haven’t looked back since.”
Padraig’s herd has made substantial progress in recent years. In 2020, the herd’s average Economic Breeding Index (EBI) was €132; by 2025, it had climbed to €193.
Milk performance has also improved dramatically. “In 2020, we sold 355kg of milk solids per cow to Kerry Co-op. By 2024, that had increased to 463kg—without increasing concentrate feeding. We still feed about 950kg of concentrates per cow.”
Assuming a milk solids value of €6/kg, this improvement translates to an additional €650 in milk sales per cow annually—driven purely by genetic progress.
Padraig also places a strong focus on beef genetics. “We use high-quality beef AI on suitable cows to produce calves with good finishing potential. Last year, we used Simmental, Limousin, Aubrac, Hereford, and Angus. We look for bulls with moderate calving difficulty but high beef value on the Dairy Beef Index (DBI). This helps ensure the calves we sell have strong Commercial Beef Value (CBV), which is increasingly important for finishers.”
So, what’s Padraig’s top tip for farmers considering the National Genotyping Programme?
“My number one piece of advice is to get into a good routine from the very start of the season when posting DNA samples. Keeping that process consistent helps everything run smoothly—passports, evaluations, and calf sales.”
For more information on the National Genotyping Programme click here.