When the Irish Farmers Journal demonstration farm Tullamore Farm was set up in 2017, there was a lot of debate around the breeding programme to be chosen for the farm.
The breeding programme has a massive impact on the day-to-day management of the farm and the bottom line. We wanted a functional cow, with lots of milk, high fertility coupled with the ability to breed a good R or U grade animal.
The initial herd that was purchased had a high percentage of Limousin-crosses from the dairy herd.
Since then, some replacements have been kept from the foundation herd and a number of replacement heifers have been bought in each year.
Indices
The average replacement index of the herd is €120, which puts the herd in the top 10% of suckler herds in the country in terms of the replacement index.
In terms of sub-indices, the herd is currently running at +10.4kg for milk, +12kg for carcase weight and +0.25 for daughter calving interval.
There is a big focus on improving these figures on an annual basis by using proven high-replacement index AI sires.
It’s not all about figures and while genetic gain is at the top of the list, visual appraisal is also carried out and any poorer-quality heifers have been culled out of the breeding group for finishing. Eighteen of the 20 heifers presented for the sale are genotyped.
Management
The heifers were all born in February, March and April 2018 and reared on their mothers until weaning in October 2018.
The heifers were then grazed at grass until November, when they were put on to a crop of forage rape for the winter months. This crop was grazed in situ, with access to silage bales and no meal.
Heifers were then turned out grass in February and grazed on grass for the rest of 2019.
Heifers were bred in May and June 2019 to easy-calving AI sires and our Salers stock bull.
All heifers presented for sale have been scanned in-calf, with dates printed in the catalogue. All heifers have been vaccinated for Leptospirosis and BVD.
Click on the catalogue image below to download.
Tullamore Farm heifer sale catalogue.
TAG NO: 372226830890146. LOT NO: 12. DATE SERVED: 18 June. BULL: Lisbawn Paul (Salers stock bull). COMMENT: Her mother is a super beefy Limousin cow with great milk. This heifer has gained 0.92kg/day since birth. She has both milk and power in her background.
Lot 9: By Doonowney Noel, this Aberdeen Angus heifer has a replacement index of €100 and is in-calf to the Salers stock bull for March 2020.
Lot 7: A Lisnacrann Fifty Cent daughter, this February 2018-born heifer has a replacement index of €166 and is in-calf to the Salers stock bull for March 2020.
Lot 10: A QCD heifer, she has a replacement index of €97 and is in-calf to the Salers stock bull for March 2020.
Lot 18: A Tomriland Kestrel ET daughter, she has a replacement index of €114 and is in-calf to LM2014 for February 2020.
Lot 11: Another Tomriland Kestrel daughter, she has a replacement index of €80. She is in-calf to the Salers stock bull with time up on 16 March 2020.
Lot 5: This super QCD daughter is in-calf to EBY and is due to calve in February 2020.
Lot 6: A ZAG daughter with a replacement index of €145, she is in-calf to EBY due on 25 February 2020.
Lot 14: This QCD heifer has a replacement index of €108 and is due to calve to LM2014 on 25 February 2020.
When the Irish Farmers Journal demonstration farm Tullamore Farm was set up in 2017, there was a lot of debate around the breeding programme to be chosen for the farm.
The breeding programme has a massive impact on the day-to-day management of the farm and the bottom line. We wanted a functional cow, with lots of milk, high fertility coupled with the ability to breed a good R or U grade animal.
The initial herd that was purchased had a high percentage of Limousin-crosses from the dairy herd.
Since then, some replacements have been kept from the foundation herd and a number of replacement heifers have been bought in each year.
Indices
The average replacement index of the herd is €120, which puts the herd in the top 10% of suckler herds in the country in terms of the replacement index.
In terms of sub-indices, the herd is currently running at +10.4kg for milk, +12kg for carcase weight and +0.25 for daughter calving interval.
There is a big focus on improving these figures on an annual basis by using proven high-replacement index AI sires.
It’s not all about figures and while genetic gain is at the top of the list, visual appraisal is also carried out and any poorer-quality heifers have been culled out of the breeding group for finishing. Eighteen of the 20 heifers presented for the sale are genotyped.
Management
The heifers were all born in February, March and April 2018 and reared on their mothers until weaning in October 2018.
The heifers were then grazed at grass until November, when they were put on to a crop of forage rape for the winter months. This crop was grazed in situ, with access to silage bales and no meal.
Heifers were then turned out grass in February and grazed on grass for the rest of 2019.
Heifers were bred in May and June 2019 to easy-calving AI sires and our Salers stock bull.
All heifers presented for sale have been scanned in-calf, with dates printed in the catalogue. All heifers have been vaccinated for Leptospirosis and BVD.
Click on the catalogue image below to download.
Tullamore Farm heifer sale catalogue.
TAG NO: 372226830890146. LOT NO: 12. DATE SERVED: 18 June. BULL: Lisbawn Paul (Salers stock bull). COMMENT: Her mother is a super beefy Limousin cow with great milk. This heifer has gained 0.92kg/day since birth. She has both milk and power in her background.
Lot 9: By Doonowney Noel, this Aberdeen Angus heifer has a replacement index of €100 and is in-calf to the Salers stock bull for March 2020.
Lot 7: A Lisnacrann Fifty Cent daughter, this February 2018-born heifer has a replacement index of €166 and is in-calf to the Salers stock bull for March 2020.
Lot 10: A QCD heifer, she has a replacement index of €97 and is in-calf to the Salers stock bull for March 2020.
Lot 18: A Tomriland Kestrel ET daughter, she has a replacement index of €114 and is in-calf to LM2014 for February 2020.
Lot 11: Another Tomriland Kestrel daughter, she has a replacement index of €80. She is in-calf to the Salers stock bull with time up on 16 March 2020.
Lot 5: This super QCD daughter is in-calf to EBY and is due to calve in February 2020.
Lot 6: A ZAG daughter with a replacement index of €145, she is in-calf to EBY due on 25 February 2020.
Lot 14: This QCD heifer has a replacement index of €108 and is due to calve to LM2014 on 25 February 2020.
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