Weigh up your cattle performance with BQI

Commercial suckler herd owners who have successfully completed the BQI Cattle Breed Improvement programme can claim a financial allowance ranging from £350 to £500 for weight recording their calves. Herd owners must weigh calves on 3 occasions in a 12 month period and can claim this allowance for 3 consecutive years throughout the duration of the BQI scheme. Herd owners who will mate their cows, either naturally or through A.I., to an elite or superior bull can avail of this aspect of the scheme.

To be eligible for this allowance, herd owners must weigh a minimum of 15 progeny. BQI elite bulls can have sired of five of these calves, or alternatively, all the calves can be sired by BQI superior bulls. On completion of weighing, weight records are submitted via e-mail.

Stephen Reel, who farms near Silverbridge, Co. Armagh, has just completed the first year of weighing his commercial steer calves. These were the progeny of 10 elite and three superior BQI bulls, with Limousin being the most common sire choice. Other breeds used include Charolais, Angus and Blonde D’Aquitaine. They were weighed at three intervals, mid-summer, autumn and at housing. Calves did not receive concentrates until they were four months old and then offered 1kg/day until weaning.

Stephen’s herd consists of spring calving continental type suckler cows and he has recently established a pedigree Limousin herd. Cows are artificially inseminated to bulls selected using the Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) for muscle, growth and milk traits. A summary of the weights for the calves weighed is outlined below:

By weighing calves on a regular basis, Stephen is able to monitor their performance. He can identify which bulls are best suited for use on his cows and the cows with good maternal traits. This has allowed Stephen to develop his herd breeding plan by selecting bulls that will complement his cows. After completing BQI, Stephen is confident to use EBVs when sourcing potential bulls through A.I. and may yet purchase a stock bull provided he possesses good carcase and maternal traits.

Through his herd breeding plan, Stephen has been able to improve cow fertility by identifying poor performing and problem cows. 75 percent of cows are now getting in calf to the first service, with a second service catching any repeats. In the past, 3 – 4 services were required to get cows in calf.

Stephen also intends to use BQI to produce embryos from a heifer recently purchased. This will hopefully increase his pedigree herd and improve herd genetics. As a progressive breeder, Stephen has embraced BQI and is using the varying forms of financial assistance it offers to develop and improve both the quality of his breeding stock and the progeny that is produced.

For more information on commercial weighing of progeny, or BQI in general, contact BQI admin on 028 94 426878.

Stephen Reel weighing calves as part of BQI, while Michael Doherty, Beef and Sheep Development advisor, looks on.

Stephen Reel and Michael Doherty, Beef and Sheep Development advisor, view the suckler herd at grass