The Active Beef Bull Lists show the highest-ranked beef AI sires on the replacement and terminal indices that have semen widely available, based on the September 2019 genetic evaluations computed by ICBF.

The criteria for making the list are as follows:

  • Bull is genotyped.
  • Reliability percentage for replacement or terminal index and calving difficulty of at least 50%.
  • Bull must also have calves in his calving survey evaluation.
  • Gene Ireland

    A “Yes” in this column indicates that the bull was progeny tested through the Gene Ireland progeny test programme. This is a programme where ICBF contacts suckler herd owners and coordinates the distribution of the semen and collection of data.

    This programme results in bulls receiving extremely accurate evaluations without excessive amounts of semen having to be dispatched while they are still genetically unproven.

    ICBF is also extremely proud of the fact that a number of these bulls were purchased through Gene Ireland committee meetings. These committees had representatives from ICBF, AI companies, breed societies and commercial farmers to select and purchase high-index young bulls.

    A testament to how successful this process was is evident by the calibre of some of the first of the bulls to graduate such as Highfield Odran, Curaheen Earp and Moondharrig Knell

    Given the success of the Beef Data and Genomics Programme (BDGP), ICBF identified that the growing demand for high-index young bulls would have to be matched by an available panel of high-index AI sires as well as stock bull sons of these AI sires.

    Bulls were firstly selected on index and then bloodlines and were then inspected by ICBF scorers before being purchased. Many of them were then purchased by AI companies.

    A testament to how successful this process was is evident by the calibre of some of the first of the bulls to graduate such as Highfield Odran, Curaheen Earp and Moondharrig Knell. Many more high-index AI bulls purchased through the programme will be graduating over the next few years.

    Understand the terminology

    1 Bull details: Rank, AI Code, Name, Breed, Gene Irl.

    2 Genotyped: This column confirms that the AI sire has his own genomic data included in his index.

    3 Replacement or terminal Index: This is the overall single figure profit index that each bull has. A bull with a replacement index of €200 is expected to sire daughters that are €200 more profitable than the average Irish suckler cow. The terminal index is an indication of how profitable a bull’s progeny will be when slaughtered.

    4 Reliability %: This figure is an indication as to how confident ICBF can be about the genetic evaluations for a particular bull. Progeny of a bull having data recorded on them (calving survey, weights etc) alongside lots of other animals, across large numbers of herds is what increases a bull’s reliability % figure. The reliability % figures for AI sires is generally higher than that of stock bulls due to the large number of calves across many herds that they would sire.

    5 Stars across: This shows the percentile ranking of the bull’s index when compared across breed (five stars: top 20%, 1 star: bottom 20%).

    6 Calv Diff % & Rel%: Calving Difficulty % is the expected percentage of difficult calvings that a bull will bring. The reliability % of that figure is also shown.

    7 No. of records: This gives the actual number of calving survey records for each bull.

    8 Daughter Milk: Daughter Milk is the expected level of milk that daughters of a bull will have. It is expressed in terms of the kgs weight gain from the progeny of those daughters (high values desired).

    9 Daughter Calving Interval: Daughter Calving Interval is a key measurement of fertility in a bull’s daughters. It is measured in terms of ‘Calving Interval’ – (negative and low values desired).

    10 Carcase weight and conformation: This shows the extra kg of carcase and increased conformation that is expected from progeny of each bull.

    11 Semen Details: Price, and supplier details of each bull are included.

    €uro-Stars

  • The €uro-Stars are used to display the index in an easy to understand fashion. The €uro-Stars show where the animal’s genetic index ranks (top 20%, bottom 20% etc).