BQI Superior Simmental bull joins CAFRE Premium Quality Beef Herd
Dr Norman Weatherup, beef technologist, CAFRE, Greenmount
A Simmental bull, Kilbride Farm Taylor, of BQI superior status for both carcase and maternal traits has joined the Premium Quality Beef Herd at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), Enniskillen Campus. This bull was selected by the Northern Ireland Simmental Club to meet performance criteria agreed with CAFRE technologists. A key tool utilised during this process was the fully searchable Breedplan EBV database, which is accessible via the British Simmental website (www.britishsimmental.co.uk). Kilbride Farm Taylor’s EBVs are in the top 25 percent of the breed in three key areas, see Tables 1 and 2.
Table 1: Calving and maternal EBVs
| Calving ease (direct) | Calving ease (daughters) | Gestation length | 200 day milk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor | +2.3 | +1.7 | -1.2 | +6 |
| Benchmark | Top 20% | Top 20% | Top 10% | Top 15% |
| Breed Average | -0.5 | -0.4 | +0.4 | +3 |
The calving traits - calving ease direct, calving ease daughters, gestation length are important for calf survival, minimum assistance at calving time, prompt rebreeding and the production of future herd replacements. The maternal trait - 200 day milk will ensure that the daughters wean heavier calves when they enter the herd.
Table 2: Growth and Carcase EBVs
| 400 day weight | Eye muscle area | Rib fat | Retail Beef Yield | Terminal Index | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor | +49 | +2.9 | -0.1 | +0.5 | +22 |
| Benchmark | Top 25% | Top 20% | Top 15% | Top 15% | Top 15% |
| Breed Average | +43 | +2.6 | +0.2 | +0.1 | +18 |
The growth and carcase traits - 400 day growth, eye muscle area, rib fat, retail beef yield will ensure that heifers have adequate growth to calve at two years of age and the male calves will reach market specification as quickly as possible.
In a new development to this work it is intended that the Premium Quality Beef Herd will move onto “early adopter” farms to demonstrate the breeding and rearing of maternal replacement heifers from within a self-contained suckler herd. Data from both Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI) and CAFRE have shown that only 51-52 percent of suckler cows produce another calf by day 390 post-calving, highlighting a major loss of revenue within our suckler industry. Sire selection based on maternal EBVs and a management protocol for producing heifers to calve at two years of age are fundamental requirements for success in maintaining a productive, compact calving herd. These two important areas are being further investigated at AFBI and in new CAFRE technology transfer projects in conjunction with the Northern Ireland Simmental Club.
Conclusion
Careful bull selection based on performance criteria will produce heifers of superior maternal ability which are the foundation of a sustainable suckler cow herd. Producers buying in replacement heifers should, where possible, source animals sired by bulls with known performance information.