ICBF Beef Breeding Journal 2015-16
40 years of Beef Performance Testing On the 23rd of March 2014 – The National Beef Performance Test Centre, based in Tully, County Kildare celebrated its 40th birthday. The Centre was officially opened by the then Minister for Agriculture, Mr Mark Clinton on the 23rd of March 1974.
The early days The origins of the National Bull Performance Test Centre at Tully goes back to the 2nd Program for Economic Expansion, published in 1964, it was known as ‘The Brown Book’. Dr Austin Mescal along with Reddy Day, Harry Spain & George Foster wrote a piece in ‘the brown book’ about the setting up of a National Bull Performance Test Centre. They recommended that 100 pedigree beef Bulls should be performance tested. This was achieved in 1973 when the National Bull Performance Test Centre located at Tully, beside Kildare Town first opened its doors to Irish Pedigree Beef Breeders. Tully enjoyed instant success, particularly due to the sale of Bulls from the Bull Test Centre to Breeders in America. Irish Simmental Breeders were big supporters as it was evident that they could use the Tully figures to improve the price of their bulls to the U.S. The Shorthorn breed also benefited greatly in the trade in Bulls to the States. Callan Gates through which to feed the bulls were nearly put in from the start so as to gauge how efficient each bull was at converting the feed they were eating into liveweight. Ultrasonic measurements (Backfat & Eye Muscle) and liveweights were taken routinely on the bulls.
Minister Mark Clinton, being shown around the Centre by Ned Sheehy (Chief Inspector) and Denis O’Driscoll (Deputy Chief). UCD Animal Breeding lecturer, Denis Kelleher, is also pictured in the background.
Minister for Agriculture, Mark Clinton, cutting the ribbon to open the National Bull Performance Test Centre at Tully in March 1974.
Hereford Bulls at Tully in 1974.
In the beginning, bulls were individually penned. In the 1980’s this changed and bulls were penned in small groups.
Limousin AI Bull Bluethe AI Bull ‘Tully enjoyed instant success, particularly Belgian due to sale of ‘Hervin’(FL1) – born on the 16th March 1972. He was the ‘Opticien d’Au Chene’ (OUC)’ – born on the 16th September 1985. the Bull Test Centre Hetois inBreeders first everBulls Limousinfrom Bull to receive an AI Code. the ancestry of ain hugeAmerica.’ amount of Belgian Blue cattle.
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