There is a growing recognition of the role that improved genetics will play in delivering future sustainability for the milk sector in Northern Ireland.
Technologies including the use of sexed semen and embryo transfer are already making a significant difference in this regard.
Ai Services breeding services manager, Ivan Minford, said:
“Committing to AI [artificial insemination] has always represented a very small investment relative to the overall costs incurred within any dairy farming business. Feed, fertiliser and energy prices continue to increase at an exponential rate.
“What’s more, the development of effective breeding policies has always been the cornerstone of improved herd performance that will continue to deliver for many generations.
“In money terms, the size of the initial investment required to make all of this happen is inconsequential, relative to the scale of the benefits accrued.
“And this remains the case. Ai Services has developed a strong working relationship with the world’s premier breeding companies to secure elite dairy genetics at prices that represent unbeatable value-for-money for local milk producers,” he added.
Genetics for dairy
According to the Ai Services representative, an investment in improved genetics will deliver at two fundamental levels for dairy farmers: Improved efficiency and improved profitably.
“Genetics impacts on every aspect of cow performance – improved milk production, enhanced milk quality, extended longevity within a milking group and improved health traits to name but a few.
“Significantly, all of these factors combine to deliver a smaller carbon footprint and improved sustainability for all dairy farming operations,” he added.
Cow size has also been identified as a key factor in determining the carbon footprint of all milk production business.
“There is scope to reduce cows’ size while still maintaining overall animal performance,” Minford commented.
He was speaking at the launch of the company’s 2023 Dairy Sires Catalogue.
“Significantly, the new dairy catalogue takes full account of this demand in terms of the sires now available,” he continued.
It features a total of 22 Holstein sires with an average Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) value of £733.
Topping the list with a PLI of £921 is Peak Altakevlow. He is a son of AltaPLINKO. Kevlow also offers the highest total value for combined fat and protein at +101.4kg.
Peak Altapowerbuck tops the milk production list within the new catalogue, offering +1101kg. He also offers exceptionally high daughter fertility at +11.1. Powerbuck has a positive score for chest, width and rump. The bull also breeds lower stature daughters.
Leading the daughter fertility ranking is Peak Solace with a rating of +15. He is also +75kg for combined fat and protein and +720kg for milk.
Vh Praser, the daughter-proven sire, comes in second on the daughter fertility listing with a rating of 14.7. He is also +0.1 for fat percentage and +0.13 for protein percentage.
Altaregulus, a son of Peak Altazazzle, was extremely popular with dairy farmers throughout Northern Ireland last year. He is a components specialist offering +52kg of fat (+0.34%) and +30.2kg of protein (+0.13%).
A new daughter-proven sire form Germany is Has Garido. He has 1,095 recorded daughters in 284 herds.
The bull has an exceptional proof, offering +800kg of milk with +75kg combined of fat and protein. Garido also has positive scores for fertility, lifespan and somatic cell count (SCC).
