Whether it’s cattle or sheep you’re breeding, one thing will always remain the same - quality will always demand a premium price. This is as true in commercial circles as much as it is in pedigree ones.

In 2019, we saw a commercial heifer sell for €10,000. Would she have made this if she was a plain Jane? Definitely not. It’s all about the quality.

We are going through a transition, where technology is becoming more and more important in our breeding decisions. While it’s important that we adapt and move with the times, quality, and class can’t be measured on a computer.

Whether we like it or not, cattle type will be forever changing

Whether we like it or not, cattle type will be forever changing. Over the past 300 years, the ideal cow has changed many times, from big to small to big and back to small again.

Breeders throughout these years followed trends and bred for what the market required. However, top-end animals of any period always had non-computable traits in abundance.

Beef prices increase and decrease, sale prices too, but if you can bring an animal of better quality to auction, nine times out of 10 you’ll get a better price. This is why quality must always be looked at when making breeding decisions.

Reliance on information

In recent years, many have criticised the ICBF and the BDGP scheme for not recognising this quality, something its technical director Andrew Crombie says the federation is striving to improve.

While some breeders have embraced the programme's increased reliance on technical information and new technologies such as stars and genomics, others remain hesitant about the path it paves for the industry.

What needs to be remembered is the BDGP scheme was rolled out at the same time as the abolition of milk quotas in 2015. This by itself was going to lead to massive demographic change and a reduction in quality.

Seismic change

Since then, there has been a seismic change in the makeup of our national herd – dairy calf registrations have boomed while beef calf registrations have fallen back. Analysing the calf registration information really distils this, while also helping to forecast where the market is heading.

One interesting trend, which I see as a positive one, is that pedigree registrations have dropped for the first time in five years.

Yes, there are fewer pedigree animals on the ground. However, only when numbers drop like this can the overall standard of our herds increase. Reduced numbers allow for only the very top animals to be kept for breeding.

Just because an animal has papers does not mean it meets the standard of quality that should be used for breeding.

Through the ICBF database and the advent of DNA testing, we can revolutionise the livestock breeding industry. Having this farm-to-fork big data at our disposal can be a game-changer for all breeders.

International flavour

Last year, I visited the province of Alberta, Canada’s beef capital. On my travels, I visited three breeding enterprises where the focus has always been on quality matched with performance. Studying these now world-renowned herds can provide plenty of learnings for our own herds.

Alberta is also home to the Farmfair International Show, where world champions are crowned for each breed every year. With entrants and champions from across the globe, it’s fascinating to be able to compare and contrast our own systems against what these world class operations are doing.

We also look at how at some of the top pedigree herds from across the globe. These all have one thing in common and that is that they won the champion of the world competition, a competition which focuses on connecting like-minded breeders for the betterment of each breed.

DNA testing is in the pipeline, how far away yet we’re not sure, but Mark Waters goes through the process and benefits.

Getting this on stream is game-changing for everyone in the livestock breeding industry. Farm to fork big data, that if used in the right hands, can revolutionise what we do.

Few commercial farmers realise the importance of a strong pedigree sector for the future success of their enterprises. Whether they breed dairy, beef or sheep, pedigree breeders stand as the prime source of new genetics for the commercial farmer.

This is why pedigree breeders must be early adapters to all new technologies and research to ensure the industry makes the most genetic gain it can, albeit at the same time not forgetting the fundamentals.

  • Keep an eye on www.farmersjournal.ie over the coming days for more from our pedigree special.