Beef Production from the Suckler Herd Flashcards
Traditional breeds in Ireland =
Angus
Hereford
Early maturing breeds
Lower mature weight, greater fat deposition potential, lower calving difficulty, used on dairy cows/heifers
Continental breeds in Ireland=
Charolais
Limousine
Simental
Belgium Blue
Late maturing
What breed brought the Dual purpose?
Simmental
Dairy and beef
In ireland do we go for purebreads or cross breads?
mostly cross breads
What is our beef system in Ireland ?
What does it revolve around?
Pastoral system (following the growth of grass):
*System revolve around matching grass supply to animal requirements during the grazing season
*While also ensuring sufficient silage is produced for the indoor winter period,
List the two beef herd types:
-Contentinal cross with high terminal trails
-Traditional beef breeds cross with dairy cows with high maternal traits
Whats the objective of the beef production system?
The objective in suckler beef production is to produce animals or carcasses of good conformation suitable for the high priced EU Markets
What is the aim for progeny to have?
–High growth rates
–Good conformation
–Good food conversion efficiency
–High lean meat content
Whats the aim for the dam to have ?
–Easily maintained
–Good reproductive performance
–Good survivability
–Satisfactory milk production potential
Why is bull selection so important ?
–growth rate
–carcass quality (fatness and conformation)
–Calving difficulty
What are continental breeds best for?
Continental breeds best for growth rate and carcass quality, but calving difficulty could be a problem
How many suckler farms use Stock bull vs AI?
Stock bull (82%) versus A.I. (18%)
The proportion of suckler cows bred to late-maturing sire breeds has increased from ?% in 1992 to ?% in 2007.
78%
87%
