Whole Herd Performance Recording (WHPR) – ‘Off to a great start’ The new ICBF Whole Herd Recording Program has just very recently started signing up pedigree herds and completing Whole Herd visits. The new WHPR program has replaced the old way in which pedigree beef herds were performance recorded by ICBF. Great start ‘We are delighted with how the new WHPR program has started. We have nearly 300 pedigree breeders signed up from 12 different pedigree breeds already and we have almost 100 whole herd visits done. In the old system, 7,500 pedigree cattle were scored across 1000 herds in a year, but the majority of these animals were scored & weighed on their own or in small groups. In many cases, bulls were being scored and weighed on their own as a way of qualifying them for a sale. The new WHPR program has 8000 pedigree cattle lined up for recording already across the 300 herds that have signed up in the first month. So the new system has already far outstripped the old system in terms of the quality of data it is returning. The cost is largely the same but the impact the data will have on the accuracy of the €uro-Stars is far greater’, according to ICBF’s Pat Donnellan.
Table 1: Number of Breeders that have signed up to the WHPR program in the first month. The new WHPR program is also specifically set up so as Pedigree Breeder’s bulls will be constantly advertised for sale and that they will be clearly identified with the WHPR stamp (shown below).
The ‘Bull Finder’ is a new online bull sales section on the ICBF website. Only bulls from WHPR herds will be included, and its only these bulls that will have a WHPR stamp printed beside them in a sales catalogue. The Breeder’s contact details and a facility for breeders to upload a photo of the bull will also be available. Weighing Cows Feed Efficiency makes up nearly 20% of the ‘Replacement Index’. There is a direct link between the size of an animal and its feed intake. Its important that a Pedigree Breeder gets his cows weighed so as we are rewarding those cows that are not expensive to keep but breed a great calf. Its important to note that only cows with a calf suckling are to be weighed. It would not be safe or beneficial to weigh heavily in-calf cows.
Spot Checks Participating Breeders want to show that the data recording carried out in their herds (Dates of Birth etc) is done with the utmost ‘Accuracy & Transparency’. ‘Spot Checks’ will be carried out on a regular basis to ensure the accuracy of the data being recorded. As would be common this is all covered in the ‘Terms & Conditions’ that apply to the Service. Breeder’s Impression Leo McEnroe is a pedigree Aberdeen Angus Breeder from Maghera, Virginia, Co.Cavan. He is also a member of the WHPR Program and has recently had his whole pedigree Angus herd performance recorded by ICBF. ‘I will be selling 38 bulls and 5 heifers at my bull sale in Thurles Mart on the 26th April so I wanted to make sure that I would have the weight and score data recorded in time so as my bulls €uro-Star figures would be as accurate as possible on the day of the sale. It took 2 days to record over 230 pedigree animals that make up my herd but I look on it as an investment into my pedigree herd because given the interest in €uro-Stars and Calving Ease figures amongst buyers – its an investment that is well worthwhile making’. ‘Goulding Jim Dandy’ is a prime example as to why as a pedigree breeder it is crucial to get involved in scoring and weighing your herd with ICBF. He is my main Stockbull and will have many bulls and heifers in the sale, but he started off as a 2 star bull on ‘Replacement Index’. At this stage, over 100 of his pedigree sons and daughters in my herd have been scored and weighed by ICBF. His index figures gradually rose and he is now a 5 star bull (€113/58% rel). He has also been genotyped. Theres no point in me as a pedigree breeder giving out about the figures that the ICBF computer gives out if I don’t put any data about my pedigree cattle into their computer to start with’.
‘Goulding Jim Dandy’ – 5 Star Stockbull in Leo McEnroe’s ‘Lisduff’ Angus herd.
Application Form ICBF are sending out application forms on a breed by breed basis but they are also available on request (023-8820452 or whpr@icbf.com). Animals All pedigree animals must be presented. Different information will be recorded, depending on the animal’s age.
Cost
ICBF will pay for 50% of the cost of weighing the cows in a herd’s first visit. Costs are subject to annual reviews and any increases will be shown on the ICBF website. Please note that the Services are subject to the terms & conditions attached.