Latest news with #DoveaGenetics'
Agriland
09-05-2025
- Science
- Agriland
Meet the world's largest Norwegian Red herd, based in Co. Cork
Nestled in north Co. Cork, one farm stands out as a shining example of how Norwegian Red cattle can revolutionise Irish dairy farming. Mike Dunne, along with his father Tom and uncle Mikey, farm a large Norwegian Red herd in Kilworth, Co. Cork with 400 pedigree cows. A farm at the heart of innovation The farm is a testament to how Norwegian Red genetics can shape productivity and sustainability. Mike's father Tom began breeding Norwegian Red cows almost 30 years ago, a breed renowned for their ease of management, health, and adaptability to Irish conditions. The farm's extensive landscape includes steep terrain and long walking distances, yet the cows excel without compromising on health or milk yields. Mike Dunne said: 'Our Norwegian Reds are easy calving, robust, and efficient. They handle the Irish pasture system perfectly—walking long distances daily without fuss. 'Their strong feet and legs, combined with excellent udder health, mean fewer veterinary issues and less labour in daily management.' Genetic selection and farm success The Dunne family use mainly Norwegian Red sexed semen on their herd, focusing on high milk solids sire, temperament, and fertility. The Norwegian total merit indexes (TMI) are primarily used when selecting sires, due to the extensive amount of information available on each bull. Mike Dunne on his farm in Kilworth, Co. Cork. Source: Dovea Genetics The Dunnes' careful breeding strategy has led to incredible fertility in the herd, with 60% holding to first serve annually, less than 10% empty rate and a 9-week breeding season, with tail paint being the only heat detection system in place. Most of the herd have already had two or three cycles before breeding begins. Almost 70% of the cows receive sexed semen with a 67% conception rate to sexed semen. The remainder of the cows are bred to Dovea Genetics dairy beef sires. Some of the sires used on the herd this year include: Krovoll (NR4941) Hallanger (S4466) Storflor (S3686) On the dairy-beef side, a range of breeds are used, including Limousin, Aubrac, Red Angus, Speckle Park, and Belted Galloway. Working with a red and white herd, the Dunne family can capitalise on the current demand for coloured female calves. Health and sustainability on the ground The Dunnes' cows walk up to 2.5km per day for milking on a steep incline, so maintaining good feet and legs in the herd is a must for Mike. Since switching, the herd has had very little issue with lameness or claw health. One of the farm's key successes is the exceptional udder health in the herd. Thanks to the breed's natural disease resistance, the farm minimises the use of antibiotics, promoting more sustainable and cost-effective milk production. The Norwegian Red cows are much stronger and more robust than their black and white counterparts, have an increased cull cow value and a premium market for their beef calves. Dovea Genetics' Norwegian Red sire range Dovea Genetics collaborate exclusively with Geno Norwegian Red – the sole distributors of Norwegian Red genetics in the world. Using both the TMI and EBI, Dovea Genetics offer the greatest Norwegian Red sires available for Irish systems, allowing farmers to continually improve herd performance, while aiding in the production of more resilient, productive cows capable of excelling in Irish conditions. Benefits of Norwegian Red genetics Norwegian Reds are renowned across the globe for their high fertility, longevity, and efficient milk production, making them ideally suited to the Irish dairy industry. Additionally, the breed exhibits excellent udder health and low somatic cell counts, leading to improved herd health and reduced veterinary costs. Incorporating Norwegian Red genetics into your herd can enhance productivity, improve animal welfare, and support a more productive herd, making them a valuable choice for Irish farmers aiming to optimise their farm. The Dunnes' farm exemplifies how Irish dairy farmers can harness the advantages of Norwegian Red genetics to create resilient, high-performing cows tailored to Ireland's unique landscape. Dovea Genetics are the exclusive distributors of the world's leading Norwegian Red genetics in Ireland. The full Norwegian Red range available from Dovea Genetics can be viewed in the Dovea Genetics 2025 Coloured Dairy Directory. Contact your local Dovea Genetics sales representative today to explore how Norwegian Red genetics can benefit your farm and help you achieve a healthier, more profitable dairy herd.
Agriland
28-04-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Enhancing dairy-beef performance through genetics
As the price gap between the upper and lower quality dairy-beef progeny continues to widen, Dovea Genetics has emerged as the leader in providing Ireland's greatest proven dairy-beef genetics. With a strong commitment to innovation, genetic excellence, and proven performance, Dovea Genetics stands out as Ireland's number one choice for proven quality in dairy beef genetics. At the heart of Dovea Genetics' success is an unwavering focus on physical and genetic excellence. Dovea Genetics' dairy-beef sires are carefully selected to ensure that farmers receive only the best in terms of performance, growth rates, and carcass quality. The rigorous selection process involves not just evaluating individual animals based on figures but also analysing their genetic lineage and physical traits, ensuring that each sire performs in Irish herds. Numbers speak volumes, and Dovea Genetics' dairy-beef sires consistently deliver impressive results for the dairy farmer. Week after week, Dovea Genetics-sired calves have been highly sought-after in marts across Ireland this spring, with Dovea Genetics-sired dairy-beef calves crossing the €1,000 mark this spring in Tullamore mart, Gortatlea mart, and Milltown mart! Fertility to the fore Since spring 2023, Dovea Genetics has collaborated with the pioneering Norwegian biotechnology firm, SpermVital, to introduce their groundbreaking fertility product to the Irish market. SpermVital's innovative solution doubles the lifespan of semen within the uterus, significantly extending the window for insemination and enhancing the likelihood of successful fertilisation. This advancement not only increases the chances of pregnancy but also provides greater flexibility during the breeding season. Backed by rigorous research verifying its efficacy, studies conducted in Germany that compared SpermVital technology to conventional methods revealed an 8.3% higher non-return rate when using SpermVital, underscoring its potential to enhance reproductive success. With a remarkable longevity of up to 48 hours inside the uterus, SpermVital semen offers unparalleled flexibility and reliability. As the 2025 breeding season approaches, an increasing number of farmers are implementing Spermvital technology in their herds to achieve higher conception rates within a defined breeding period. Success stories from the dairy-beef field Inseminations with sexed semen on Eoin Doorley's farm in Shinrone, Co. Tipperary, introduced Dovea Genetics' leading dairy-beef range to produce quality calves capable of meeting their growing local demand for beef calves. Eoin places his trust in Dovea Genetics' proven genetics to ensure easy calving, short gestation, and consistently superior beef genetics, ensuring a profitable and efficient breeding programme. Eoin Doorley on his farm in Shinrone, Co. Tipperary. Image source: Dovea Genetics Sires used on the herd include: Kealkil Stockman (AA7188); Keirsbeath Karma (AA4638); Negrita Du Lac (BB8019). Building on last year's success with Spermvital at the end of his breeding season, Eoin will once again utilise Spermvital to boost conception rates at the tail-end of this year's season. This strategic choice underscores Eoin's commitment to achieving optimal breeding outcomes and maintaining a top-tier herd. Over on Victor Austin's farm in Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, sexed semen is almost completely allocated to maiden heifers. This strategic approach enables Victor to utilise Dovea Genetics' top beef merit sires across his cows throughout the breeding season. Among the elite high beef sub index sires selected for Victor's herd are: Knockmahon Opel (CH6292); An De Beauffaux (BB4438); Keirsbeath Karma (AA4638); Ryans Victorious (AA9843). Victor emphasises producing high-quality beef progeny, raising them through to yearlings before sale. This focused breeding programme ensures the consistent production of exceptional beef genetics, reinforcing his commitment to excellence and profitability in beef production. Dovea Genetics: Ireland's premier choice for dairy-beef sires Dovea Genetics offer Ireland's greatest range of dairy-beef genetics, with a consistent emphasis on elite beef sires that facilitate easy calving, short gestation, and top-tier, saleable calves. Our sire selection process integrates rigorous scientific research to identify the most outstanding beef sires capable of meeting the evolving needs of both dairy and beef producers. At Dovea Genetics, we are proud to host Ireland's leading dairy beef sires on the ICBF Active Bull List, including: Ireland's No. 1 Dairy Beef Index Sire: Fellfort W Robo 1637 (AA1943) at €193 Fellfort W Robo 1637 (AA1943) at €193 Ireland's Top Proven Limousin Sire on the Active Bull List: Sliabh Felim Sterling (LM8929) Sliabh Felim Sterling (LM8929) Leading Beef Sub Index Limousin Sire: Drumline S 1185 (LM9577) Drumline S 1185 (LM9577) Ireland's No. 1 Dairy Beef Index Angus Sire: Fellfort W Robo 1637 (AA1943) Fellfort W Robo 1637 (AA1943) Easiest Calving Proven Angus Sire: Kealkil Stockman (AA7188) Kealkil Stockman (AA7188) Leading Proven Aubrac Sire: Deerpark Rowe (AU8953) Deerpark Rowe (AU8953) Most Proven Belgian Blue Sire: An De Beauffaux (BB4438) An De Beauffaux (BB4438) Top Proven Charolais Sire (Beef Sub Index): Cattanview Supreme Cattanview Supreme Top Proven Charolais Sire (Calving Sub Index): Knockmahon Opel (CH6292) Knockmahon Opel (CH6292) Leading Beef Sub Index Shorthorn Sire: Clonina Explorer 300 (RO)(P) (SH4609) Clonina Explorer 300 (RO)(P) (SH4609) Ireland's No. 1 Belted Galloway Sire: Ballylough Ranger (BY4875) Our focus on superior genetics, combined with Ireland's leading semen fertility rates, ensures enhanced conception success, improved calving ease, reduced gestation lengths, and industry-leading calf quality. By choosing Dovea Genetics, farmers not only invest in exceptional genetics but also gain access to comprehensive data and insights that enable them to optimise calf value and overall herd performance.
