An analysis of birth breed registration data contained in the animal identification and movement report for 2023 shows a marked reduction in usage of Friesian sires in dairy breeding programmes. There were 104,227 fewer Friesian-sired calves born compared with 2022 figures.
An analysis of birth breed registration data contained in the animal identification and movement report for 2023 shows a marked reduction in usage of Friesian sires in dairy breeding programmes. There were 104,227 fewer Friesian-sired calves born compared with 2022 figures.
As can be readily seen in Table 1, births to dairy dams increased by 19,625 head.
The Aberdeen Angus breed was the big winner, with Angus sire registrations jumping by in excess of 88,000 head.
The breed now accounts for just shy of 27% of breed registration data, up 5% on the year, while the percentage of Friesian sires fell from 52.3% to just over 45%.
The Hereford breed also enjoyed a significant increase, with the three breeds accounting for 86% of sire registrations to dairy dams.
There was also greater use of Belgian Blue genetics in the 2022 breeding season and reports indicate the changes experienced in 2023 birth registrations have not changed drastically in 2024.
Beef sires
The most striking feature of the data listed in Table 2 detailing beef sire information is another significant drop in birth registrations to beef dams.
The number of calf registrations fell by over 61,500 head, or 7%, on 2022 levels. Limousin and Charolais genetics continue to dominate sire choice, despite numbers dropping.
The Limousin breed has lost almost a 1% share of the sire breakdown, with this captured in the main by the Aberdeen Angus breed, with the percentage of such sires lifting by almost 1%.
The remaining breeds stayed broadly in line with 2023 percentages, with the Belgian Blue breed the only one from those listed to record a positive lift.
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