Gene Ireland is a joint initiative between pedigree breeders, commercial farmers, breed societies, AI Companies, DAFM and ICBF.

Drumcarbin Prince Mambo, AI code: AA5479.

It is a unique style of progeny testing bulls, wherein an independent organisation (ICBF) sets the genetic merit targets that the young beef bulls must meet and then coordinates the distribution of semen to data recording herds.

Jectisse, AI code: LM5629.

This ensures that there is a constant drive to identify bulls with higher €uro-Star ratings year-on -year, which ultimately allows the genetic gain of the national herd to increase when the semen of the top bulls is released into the general population. Bulls are selected for the programme each year by a committee of breeders, commercial farmers, AI companies and ICBF personnel.

Finnlough Finn, AI code: SH5431.

After the semen of the young bulls is distributed to data recording herds and the calves are born, ICBF then monitors their performance very closely (calving difficulty, growth, fertility, docility etc). This data is continously fed into the ICBF database.

Love P, AI code: CH5626.

Their €uro-Stars are updated, reflecting the performance of their progeny and the best of them are identified and made available for use. The beauty of the Gene Ireland programme is that it is unbiased.

Leeherd Jake 319, AI code: SI5292.

These test progeny are reared in the exact same way as their future siblings will be reared. This is crucial to prevent future users of the top bulls being disappointed by the progeny not matching up to what the figures promised.

New ‘Rising Stars’

ICBF and its programme partners have recently launched the exciting new Gene Ireland panel of high replacement index beef bulls for winter 2019.

Allowdale Rambo 468, sire of Allowdale Rambo 475.

Building on the success of previous programmes, these bulls have been selected on their potential to deliver in two key areas:

  • To produce heifers which are fertile and which will have an adequate level of milk.
  • To produce a heifer that will deliver a calf with good beef attributes for traits such as good growth rate and conformation.

    • The key points from the programme include:

  • Access to the best new maternal beef bulls in Irish AI at €5 per straw.
  • Progress towards meeting BDGP targets.
  • Potentially sell some of the progeny back to ICBF for performance testing at the Tully Beef Test Centre.
  • Freedom to choose whatever combination of bulls and breeds that you require from the catalogue.
  • To place your order for straws, call 0238820452.