CE FOREWORD

Breeding 2023: The future is Black, White & Green

IHFA members are in a stronger position then ever before, but new challenges are being presented. The gains made in terms of fertility and milk solids in member herds have been excellent and this leaves us in a fantastic position to push ahead for the future. The success of IHFA members can be seen in the number of Irish bred bulls in the AI catalogues.

Having more fertile cows means we are getting more and more cows to mature production. This means higher production herds as we have more cows at mature output. It also means we have cows leaving herds for other reasons, mainly lameness and mastitis. Breeding for health, udders and feet are becoming more important.

The climate challenges, in carbon terms, are strongly linked to efficiency of production per cow on a grass based diet and her longevity. We have the tools to deal with this. Carbon and Nitrates are putting pressure on animal numbers so it is important to have the most efficient and profitable cows possible and minimize the number of unproductive animals on the farm.

There are a few key points in this. First is to minimize replacement rate by maximizing longevity. The second is to have saleable nondairy cattle. In this issue we look at what some farms are doing to prepare for the future as well as looking at the beef calf market and how we can maximise genetic gain for our dairy cows.

Despite the challenges we face it is a great time to have pedigree Holstein-Friesian cows and I know our breeders will prosper long into the future.

Sincerely

Laurence Feeney Chief Executive

Cover Image:

Slieverue Olivia Eimear 6 –Sired by Glenn-Ann Palermo.

Bred and owned by Sean Begley & Family in Dingle, Co Kerry.

She was scored EX94 at the end of 2022 by John Kirby, she is their first 94 point cow and was their first 93 point cow before this classification.

The image was taken by Donncha O’Siochru.

Volac’s

The SenseHub™ livestock monitoring system takes the guesswork out of dairy herd management by collecting data on your cows’ behaviour and generating actionable insights to help you maintain a healthier herd, increase the number of calves born and reduce operational costs.

SenseHub™ enables you to make informed breeding decisions by accurately identifying the various stages of heat events and ltering out any false heats. It also highlights the optimum time for insemination to take place, thereby improving rst service conception and subsequent pregnancy rates.

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