The Cork pedigree cow breeder who has expanded from the Irish market to the US and Europe

Irish Examiner

07-05-2025

Multi-prize-winning pedigree cattle breeder, John Appelbe, continually strives to innovate through a combination of strategic breeding policies, careful selection, and investment in superior genetics.
Based in Carrigroe near Clonakilty in West Cork, he took the reins of his family farm, home to 90 pedigree Angus (Carrigroe) and polled Hereford (Appel) breeding females, 24 years ago.
The farm has gone from strength to strength through carefully selected breeding techniques, improved grassland management and expansion into new markets. The farm, having been purchased by his great-grandfather, Henry Appelbe, some 125 years ago, has been in his family for generations.
John runs the enterprise with assistance from his wife, Solvig, sons Erik and Arthur, and daughter Alice, who assist with daily operations, from calving to herd management and his mother, Elizabeth, and sisters, Beatrice and Dorothy, when required.
'Farming and particularly breeding and showing pedigree cattle is a long-standing tradition in our family, going back over five generations,' explained John, a full-time farmer.
John, Solvig, Erik, Alice and Arthur Appelbe on their farm in Carrigroe, Co. Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan
'We have always been passionate about breeding quality livestock, and the farm has evolved each generation. We transitioned into suckler farming in the 1960s from dairying and pedigree beef. Initially, the farm was more diverse, but we saw the potential in breeding bulls for the dairy-beef market and gradually moved into this specialised area.
'Initially, the farm was focused primarily on producing bulls for suckler and dairy-beef farmers, with a number going into AI stations in Ireland and mainland Europe. Our farm would have had 90 cows in the 1980s when I was born, and we have maintained numbers up to the present day.'
The family has always admired the ease of calving and adaptability of both Angus and Hereford breeds. John realised their potential for both dairy-beef markets and suckler systems, pushing him to focus on these breeds for pedigree and commercial use.
Breeds
Angus and Hereford are renowned for their ease of calving, growth rates, and high-quality beef production. According to John, they are versatile, performing 'exceptionally well' in dairy-beef systems and traditional suckler herds.
His family have been breeding Angus and Herefords for generations, but it was through attending breed society events and shows that he learned about their advantages in dairy-beef production.
Their foundation females were carefully selected for their fertility, ease of calving, and maternal traits. They were the cornerstone of their herd's growth, contributing to consistent calf production year after year.
According to John, Angus and Hereford breeds are versatile, performing 'exceptionally well' in dairy-beef systems and traditional suckler herds. Picture: Dan Linehan
They use an array of carefully selected AI bulls, which enables them to tap into superior international genetics, while their teams of stock bulls are chosen for proven performance, particularly for dairy-beef markets.
The Cork-based farm has introduced some genetics from the USA, Australia and Europe to enhance their herd and breed cattle to suit their customer base.
The family have steadily expanded the number of bulls by using sexed male AI semen over the last five years due to rising demand from AI centres and farmers in Ireland and across Europe. Export opportunities have also motivated them to grow their breeding programme.
They use bulls that excel in calving ease, growth, and carcass traits; AI sires come from proven lines, often selected from top bulls in Ireland, the UK, throughout Europe, the USA and Australia.
'My father was a huge inspiration, teaching me the importance of attention to detail. I have also been influenced by other breeders in the Irish Angus Cattle Society, Irish Aberdeen Angus Association, and Irish Hereford Breed Society, who have shared valuable advice over the years."
John spent over 12 years on the Irish Angus council and was society president in 2018. He now serves on the Hereford Society's breed improvement sub-committee, helping to promote the breed and organise events, and contributing to discussions on improving genetic evaluations.
Calving and cow-type
Calving typically takes place in the spring and summer, which ensures optimal grass availability for cows and calves during the key growth periods, reducing the need for supplementary feeding. Grassland management is a cornerstone of the enterprise, which is rotationally grazed and reseeded regularly to ensure high-quality forage to support both the cows' productivity and calves' performance.
Their ideal cow is moderate in size, around 600-700kg, with a strong maternal instinct, ease of calving, and good milk production to produce calves with high growth potential and excellent conformation. Most progeny are sold to dairy farmers for beef production or to suckler farms, while some are retained as breeding stock, and some of their top-performing bulls are sold to Irish AI centres or for export.
They retain some heifers as replacements and aim to calve these at 24 months, which ensures they are 'mature enough to handle calving but still early enough to contribute to herd growth'. They also sell top-quality females to new and established breeders, with many of these females producing some top-performing AI bulls over the last number of years.
The herd operates a strict culling policy, based on fertility, calving ease, and production efficiency. Cows that fail to produce a calf every year or show health or structural issues are culled to maintain herd quality.
The deploy an Embryo Transfer (ET) programme to replicate the genetics of their best cow families, speeding up genetic progress and expanding the influence of their top-performing females.
'One calf per cow per year is a key target for us,' John said. 'Along with this, we monitor growth rates, fertility, and overall herd health.
Our greatest reward is when our customers continually return to buy bulls from us. There is strong demand for both breeds, especially in the dairy-beef market where ease of calving and high-quality beef are critical.
'Several of our bulls are also available in top Irish AI centres under the Carrigroe and Appel herd prefixes. One of our standout bulls, Carrigroe TikTok (AA8439), was sold to Eurogene AI, and he is one of the shortest gestation beef bulls available -5.14 days gestation at 99% reliability.
'His progeny are now in high demand for dairy-beef systems across Europe. His figures for calving ease and growth rates made him particularly attractive to dairy farmers,' he added. 'Also, last year, Munster Bovine bought my daughter Alice's bull, Appel 1 Christophe PP (HE1141).'
Shows and exports
The Appelbe family have exhibited cattle at local and national shows with significant success, securing several championships in both Angus and Hereford categories. They have taken home multiple breed championships and bull sale awards over the years, which have helped raise the profile of their renowned herd.
Their bloodlines are dotted in herds throughout the country, and they have even exported cattle to markets as far away as the USA and Eastern Europe, close to the Russian border, a milestone that is a testament to the quality of their finely tuned breeding programme.
Erik Appelbe feeding the Zwartble sheep on the family farm at Carrigroe, Co. Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan
According to John, good genetics and attention to detail are key to their success, however, he is a big believer that life on the farm has to be interesting enough to engage the next generation.
"I sit on the board of a local co-op, and one of the concerns I have is that yes, we need to do things that are the most profitable, but we also need to keep a little a bit of interest and romance in it and not just focus entirely on what makes the most money. Farming needs to be interesting for the next generation," he said.
In recent years, he has even added a few Zwartble sheep to the farm as his children have started to take an interest in them.
Future
Into the future, they plan to focus on improving carcass traits and further optimising grassland management to enhance both cow and calf performance. John believes 'there is always room for improvement, and we aim to continue growing our herd while enhancing genetic performance'.
'Suckler farming has a strong future, especially as consumer demand for high-quality, sustainably produced beef grows. However, we will need to continue innovating to stay competitive. Farming is a low-margin business that requires family labour to survive.
'Farmers are not always rewarded for the quality progeny they are producing. I believe there is a disconnect between the effort breeders put into improving genetics and the market returns. More recognition is needed for quality.
'But our journey to date has been rewarded from watching the herd grow and improve with each generation. We have faced challenges, but the results have been worth it. Seeing our cattle thrive across different markets, from Ireland to the USA and Europe, has been a proud achievement,' he concluded.