Pedigree Charolais Breeder

Philip Leech, Beech Hill, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

Phillip Leech with one of his high replacement index cows from the Gene Ireland Maternal bull breeder programme.
Phillip Leech with one of his high replacement index cows from the Gene Ireland Maternal bull breeder programme.

Backround of the herd: Two pedigree Charolais cows were purchased in 1995. The herd now comprises of 10 pedigree breeding females.

Maternal Breeding: The herd has an overall maternal rating of €37, placing it firmly within the top 20% of Charolais herds in the country.

Top Maternal Cows: One of the top cows in the herd is ‘Blanchefield Top Notch’ (Blanchefield Rendez-Vous x Indien). She has a maternal index of €73 (reliability: 38%). She was born on the 20th of February 2002. She has had 10 calves (including 2 sets of twins) and is a very hard working cow with an average calving interval of 384 days.

Key traits of interest: The breeding policy in the herd is based around balance with an emphasis on both Terminal and Maternal traits. As a consequence the herd is placed within the top% of the Charolais breed for both maternal and terminal indexes.

Recent Sires used:  Rancard (RRZ – 4.5 stars for replacement index within the Charolais breed), Nippur (NPP – 4.5 stars for replacement index within the Charolais breed and Thrunton Voldemort (5 stars for carcass traits within the Charolais breed).

Breeder’s comment: “It is very important not to breed down a cul-de-sac. The focus in the herd has been to alternate through each generation between Maternal and Terminal traits, with the long term focus being on producing balanced cattle that can fill both roles”.