Potential to double the rate of gain on the Dairy Beef Index of beef sires
Increases in the usage of sexed semen, along with the beef sector’s desire for a more profitable, productive, efficient and sustainable animal has seen a greater focus placed on beef on dairy breeding polices in recent times.
Playing a key role in delivering the above is the Dairy Beef Index, a tool developed and published by the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) that allows for the identification of suitable beef sires to be matched to dairy dams without comprising on calving or beef traits.
As part of the recent International Dairy Calf to Beef Conference, an event organised by Teagasc in partnership with ABP and BSAS, David Kenny of AbacusBio discussed modelling work which assessed potential routes by which the rate of gain for Irish beef sires on the Dairy Beef Index can be increased.
Providing a background to this work, David Kenny explained: “Improving the rate of gain of the Dairy Beef Index in breeding beef bulls will provide further benefits to both beef and dairy farms into the future.
“Increasing the rate of gain amoung these beef bulls potentially represents one of the lowest hanging fruits with regard to providing greater benefits to the industry, but also to the development of sustainable dairy-beef systems.”
Key to achieving this however is making genetically superior sires available, and a number of different strategies - such as developing contract mating relationships or the formation of nucleus herds utilising embryo transfer technologies - were discussed.
A central pillar to all was intensive selection of animals on the Dairy Beef Index (DBI), through pursing matings between animals ranking highly on the index to produce relatively large pools of elite DBI bull calves from which AI companies can potentially select individual candidates.
Although the contract mating strategy did provide benefits, the modelling exercise indicated that the highest rate of genetic gain could be achieved through the formation of a nucleus herd.
Presenting on potential nucleus herd sizes of 50 to 150 elite animals, David Kenny noted: “The establishment of a nucleus herd that intensively selected for the Dairy Beef Index is predicted to provide net positive economic benefits to the wider agricultural industry on an annual basis. After adjusting for the cost of establishing and maintaining such herds, these values range from about €4 million per year to €7 million per year.”
In the context of this modelling exercise, larger nucleus herds did provide the greatest benefit, however the AbacusBio representative noted that due to the sheer volume of embryos produced and the resulting need for recipients, more moderate nucleus herd sizes would be more feasible.
Discussing the potential benefits accrued over time from a nucleus herd comprising 75 high DBI females on which 70% male sexed semen was used, he explained: “Our models, over a 10 year period, predict total cumulative industry level benefits of €62 million and incurred costs of €3.3 million.
“This translates to an 18-fold return on investment when taking into account the industry level benefits less the incurred costs of establishing and maintaining the nucleus herd.”
David Kenny concluded his presentation, by saying: “Our modelling work has established that potential exists to increase the rate of gain of beef sires on the Dairy Beef Index by up to twice that of what is currently observed amoung beef sires.”
He noted that by increasing the rate of genetic gain on the DBI, future calf crops, dairy farmers, beef farmers and the wider industry could benefit. However, on the formation of future nucleus herds to achieve such, he noted, that stakeholder buy in and collaboration is required to ensure that elite animals make their way to AI stations and are used on dairy herds once available.
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Diary date - Teagasc National Beef Conference
The Teagasc National Beef Conference 2024 takes place on Tuesday, 19 November at 5pm in the Landmark Hotel, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, N41 N9W4.
The theme of the conference is 'Sustainable Beef Farming: Pathways to a greener future'