Beef AI usage on dairy herds up 22%
More beef AI has been used on dairy herds over the first six months of 2023, recently published figures from the ICBF have shown.
Presenting an analysis of insemination data collected from AI technicians linked to the ICBF database through their AI handheld system, the breeding federation notes that a total of 322,782 beef serves were recorded on dairy herds during the first six months of the year. When compared to the same period in 2022, when 264,285 beef serves were recorded, this is a jump of 58,497 straws or an increase of 22%.
At the same time, dairy AI usage has declined from 590,464 dairy serves recorded in the first six months of 2022 to 537,154 dairy serves in the first six months of 2023. Changing practices on dairy farms, most notably the increased usage of sexed semen and the requirement to breed fewer replacement heifers, are likely contributing factors to increased usage of beef semen.
Beef sire usage
Of the total beef serves recorded during the first six months of the year, the ICBF notes that a total of 653 beef sires were used.
Like 2022, Angus continues to account for the largest proportion of serves – 163,591 serves or 50.7% of total beef serves in the first six months of 2023. Hereford is the second most used beef breed in dairy herds, with 75,066 handheld serves recorded, while a total of 40,405 handheld serves were recorded for Belgian Blue sires, positioning them in third place of breeds used.
Table 1: The percentage of handheld serves by beef breed used on dairy herds (source: ICBF)
| Breed | Number of serves | Percentage of total |
|---|---|---|
| Angus | 163,591 | 50.7 |
| Hereford | 75,066 | 23.3 |
| Belgian Blue | 40,405 | 12.5 |
| Limousin | 16,785 | 5.2 |
| Charolais | 8,164 | 2.5 |
| Aubrac | 4,822 | 1.5 |
| Speckle Park | 3,931 | 1.2 |
| Wagyu | 3,663 | 1.1 |
| Simmental | 2,520 | 0.8 |
| Other | 3,835 | 1.2 |
For more information on the beef and dairy AI sires used on the dairy herd during the first six months of the year, visit the ICBF webpage.
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