The Gene Ireland Programme are delighted to announce that three additional bulls are now available to pedigree herds through the GI Graduate proven bull panel, this brings the total number of proven bulls available through the programme to five.
500 complementary straws from these top ‘Graduate’ bulls are now available exclusively to pedigree breeders participating in the WHPR programme. The major benefit from a WHPR Breeder’s point of view is that so much is already known about these bulls before they use them. ICBF have obtained as much information as possible on the progeny of these bulls with on-farm data recorded for calving ease, gestation length, calf quality and most importantly daughter milk.
There are many requirements to be met before a bull can be classed as a Gene Ireland Graduate bull, such as a high replacement index a good rating for daughter milk and a reliability of over 60% for this trait.
• Bred by Richard Fortune, Knottown Wexford Co Wexford.
• Sired by the homebred sire Knottown Hermes out of NCBC bull Morvan.
• Dam is Knottown Ira who is in the top 1% of the breed on the replacement Index.
• Dam had a mature weight of 704kgs.
• KTM has 178 calves with a calving survey. His Calving Difficulty is 5.8%.
• KTM is in the top 3% of the Salers breed for carcass weight.
• 5-star bull for Carcass Weight and Daughter Calving Interval.
LZZ – Lisnacrann Demertios
• Bred by Michael Oliver, Tullinacurra, Swinford, Co.Mayo.
• Sired by Kilbride Farm Newry who is rated 5 stars for milk at 99% reliability.
• Dam is Lisnacrann Perfect Start who is also the dam of the NCBC AI sire Lisnacrann Fifty Cent (SI2469).
• Dam had a mature weight of 805kgs.
• LZZ has 395 calves with a calving survey. His Calving Difficulty is 5.8%.
• Daughters receiving very good ratings by Irish Suckler farmers for milkability.
• 5-star bull for Docility and Carcass Weight.
- Bred by Gerald Harney, Lisnagranchy, Ardrahan, Co Galway.
- Sired by Bova AI bull ‘LRY’ Lisnagranchy Carlo that is rated 5 stars for Daughter Calving Interval at -3.73days.
• Dam is the French born cow Actualite from an Individue sired bull.
• Dam had a mature weight of 778kgs.
• AYH has 107 calves with a calving survey. His Calving Difficulty is 5.9%.
• 5-star bull for Carcass Weight and Carcass Conformation.
YBH – Ballym Henri
• Bred by Louise Quinn, Ballymoran House, Edenderry, Co.Offaly
• Sired by the noted French Maternal Bull ‘Pinay’ who is rated 111 for milk in France.
• Dam is the Pirate sired cow Ballym Esprit who is currently rearing her 7th calf.
• Dam had a mature weight of 756kgs.
• YBH has 167 calves with a calving survey. His Calving Difficulty is 7.3%.
• 5-star bull for Docility and Carcass Weight.
KDZ– Curaheen Dickens
• Bred by The Wall Family, Newcastle Co Dublin.
• Sired by the homebred sire Curaheen Warrior (ET) out of NCBC bull Carnkern Titan.
• Dam is Marsha Wanda who is in the top 1% of the breed on the replacement Index.
• Dam had a mature weight of 720kgs.
• KDZ has 665 calves with a calving survey. His Calving Difficulty is 8.00%.
• 5-star bull for Carcass Weight.
Semen is now available on a first come, first serve basis to pedigree breeders participating in the Whole Herd Performance Recording Programme. For more details or to order straws please call HerdPlus on 023-8820452.