The Holstein Friesian bull Cloonigney Canning (FR4854) has been withdrawn from service due to issues with his semen quality. Farmers who used the bull are reporting non-return rates as low as 0% to 10%.
The Holstein Friesian bull Cloonigney Canning (FR4854) has been withdrawn from service due to issues with his semen quality.
Farmers who used the bull are reporting non-return rates as low as 0% to 10%.
The bull is owned by Munster Bovine and Progressive Genetics. A Munster spokesman confirmed affected farmers will receive compensation for the losses incurred, while a spokesman for Progressive said that the bull had passed all quality control measures prior to the semen going on-farm.
Despite early fears of the impact of COVID-19, it has been a bumper season so far for AI companies, with technician inseminations up almost 8% on the same period last year.
Good weather in May helped to increase submission rates on many farms and difficulties in purchasing stock bulls due to the closure of marts and travel restrictions may have led to some farmers using more AI than normal.
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