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Agriland
29-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Table: Top 10 AI sires for autumn 2024 suckler births
Almost a quarter of the suckler-bred calves born in the second half of 2024 were sired by artificial insemination (AI) bulls. The second half of 2024 saw 151,748 suckler-bred calves born on Irish farms, of which 34,382 (23%) were registered to an AI sire, according to Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) data. Of these, 44% have already been genotyped and 10 sires account for 32% of all the AI suckler progeny born in the first half of 2024. The table below details the top 10 AI sires with the most suckler-bred progeny recorded to them between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024: Rank AI code Name Number of progeny Repl. Index Term Index GI sire 1 CH4321 Lapon 2,184 €71 €155 Yes 2 LM2014 Ewdenvale Ivor 2,066 €152 €143 Yes 3 LM4217 Moondharrig Knell 1,036 €160 €97 Yes 4 LM7416 Powerful Proper 942 €142 €123 Yes 5 LM4184 Loyal 913 €145 €122 No 6 CH4159 Knockmoyle LokiET 902 €120 €156 No 7 CH6490 Orbi 759 €104 €126 Yes 8 AA4089 lntelagri Matteo ET 667 €223 €114 Yes 9 CH7503 Cloonradoon Ricky 620 €34 €131 Yes 10 BB4438 An de Beauffaux 576 €71 €91 No Source: ICBF As can be seen above, the top 10 list is dominated by well-proven Charolais and Limousin sires along with one Angus and one Belgian Blue. The 10 sires listed above have an average replacement Index of €122 with relatively high reliability across all the sires and very high in some cases. Seven of the top 10 sires, and all of the top four sires have graduated from Gene Ireland over the years, which, according to the ICBF, 'highlights the value of the programme for consistently progeny testing young high impact sires'. Other top AI sires by breed for suckler-bred calves born in this time: Aubrac : Turloughmore Magnificent (AU4683) with 185 progeny registrations; : Turloughmore Magnificent (AU4683) with 185 progeny registrations; Belgian Blue: Negrita Du Lac (BB8019) with 322 progeny registrations Negrita Du Lac (BB8019) with 322 progeny registrations Belgian Blue: New Red (BB7638) with 306 progeny registrations; New Red (BB7638) with 306 progeny registrations; Salers : Knottown Roy (SA4604) with 410 progeny registrations; : Knottown Roy (SA4604) with 410 progeny registrations; Simmental : Curaheen Earp (SI2152) with 258 progeny registrations; : Curaheen Earp (SI2152) with 258 progeny registrations; Simmental : Curaheen Gunshot (SI4147) with 182 progeny registrations; : Curaheen Gunshot (SI4147) with 182 progeny registrations; Simmental Leeherd Lynx (SI7491) with 177 progeny registrations. The high number of sires coming from Gene Ireland 'helps to drive the rate of genetic gain by building high-reliability indexes at a young age on the back of robust data recording', the ICBF said. 'Every spring and autumn, a new panel of young, high genetic merit AI sires are made available to suckler farmers for just €8/straw.' lntelagri Matteo ET was the most popular Angus sire on suckler cows, with 667 calves registered in that time. HW Lord Horatio (AA6682) was the second-most popular Angus AI sire on suckler cows with 344 calves registered to him, followed by Tubridmore Twomey (AA8472) with 294 calves registered in this time.
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Precision breeding: Sexed semen and strict selection shape Dermot's AI plan
I started breeding on April 28. I am doing selective breeding. Cows were picked out using the female selector in Sire Advice on ICBF. Cows selected with high EBI, positive for health, above 0.15 for fat and above 0.1 for protein PD. These cows will get sexed semen. I have picked out 30 cows for sexed semen. Cows ideally had to be calved more than 42 days and had one heat prior, no issues at calving such as milk fever or retained cleanings. These cows also had to have gone in calf to one previous straw in the previous lactation. The cows receiving sexed semen were inseminated on natural heat. The bulls were picked on high EBI, positive for health, milk sub index greater than €90, milk solids over 30kg, and these bulls also need to have strong percentages for fat and protein, ideally above 0.2 for fat and 0.15 for protein. I have another group of cows picked for Friesian, but these cows will only get Gene Ireland bulls. The remainder of the cows are going to get beef straws. I am using Angus, Aubrac, Hereford, Limousin and Charolais. It is all AI with the cows. I don't use any stock bull. I am currently on week two of breeding. Heats are very strong with the herd. I tail-painted all the herd a month before breeding. Fifteen cows were identified as not bulling when I tail painted them. The vet handled these cows on the first day of breeding. Of the 15 cows, eight were fine and seven were put on a fixed-time AI program. These seven cows were inseminated with beef straws. These seven cows were not active, and I followed the vet's advice and gave them fixed-time AI. My breeding packs are 25 Friesian Gene Ireland sires, two Gene Ireland beef sires. I have 20 heifers and 30 cows getting sexed semen. The remainder and the repeats will be getting the Ballyvaden beef pack. The weekly fertility report in HerdPlus on ICBF is showing that I am on target with my submission rate of 30% for the week. I will run this weekly to monitor progress. Heifers I have 38 bulling heifers. They go to the contract-rearer. I pick out the best 20 heifers. These are synchronised and given sexed semen. The other 18 are in a separate group, and they are running with a stock bull. These 18 bulling heifers will be sold. These 18 heifers are kept so the contract rearer has enough stock for his farm. The heifers have been out to grass for five weeks before breeding. Compared to this time last year, the heifers were only out at grass for a week before breeding started. In three weeks' time, I will watch for repeats with the heifers, and I will AI with the bull.
