Sometimes suckler farmers forget about the importance of selecting a heifer with a good pelvis width that will be able to calve a decent sized calf .
The Salers breed has one of the largest pelvic measurement of any beef breed. This ability to calve to big continental bulls and have enough milk to rear that calf into high value weanlings has resulted in a growing popularity for the use of Salers in crossing systems.
Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Seamus Nagle from the Salers Society said: “Fertility is another huge trait of the breed. Longevity or survival in the herd is very impressive, cows are still fresh at ten- to twelve-years-old and can last several years longer.”
On many farms Salers cows are being used as seedstock to breed the next generation of productive suckler replacement females”
Win a Salers heifer
The society is currently running a raffle to win a pure-bred Salers heifer, Roskeel Beauty. Entries are available on www.irishsalers.com
Beauty is a very quiet, top quality maiden heifer by Knottown Roy off a Halley cow. She is scanned suitable for breeding.
Tullamore Show
It’s been a great year on the show scene for Salers breeders, with Spiddal Bláithín winning the overall Tullamore championship for first time for Patsy and Padraic Conneely, Spiddal, Co Galway.
Bláithín came out on top out of eleven entries in a strong junior heifer class earlier in the day. Bláithín is a Lataster Eric daughter off an RIO cow.
Opale owned by Niall Hunt, Templeboy, Co Sligo, won all-Ireland champion Salers cow of the year and went on to win reserve champion Salers at Tullamore.
Opale’s stylish March-born heifer calf, Templeboy Darla, won first prize in the junior heifer calf class.
Coolagoore Birdie won the senior heifer class at Tullamore. Birdie is a Beguin x Forez heifer and was bred by Catherine Minogue, Feakle, Co Clare.
Ashbury Bandicoot was first prize winner and is a very impressive senior bull – this son of Ashbury Picasso is owned by the Melvin family, Mulhuddart, Co Dublin.
Glenmore CC owned by Tom Mulcahy, Strand, Co Limerick, won her senior calf class and was later tapped out junior champion by judge Pearse O’Kane, Lower Bollie, Co Derry.
Salers also won first and third place in the breeders choice continental four- or five-Star Breeding Heifer class.
Ryan Gibbons, Roscahill, Co Galway, led the way with a stylish Ulsan daughter, Glengowla Baubble. In third place was Ferdia Joyce, Achill, Co Mayo, with Roskeel Bonnie by Baron.
A highlight of the year on the Salers calendar is the breeding heifer sale which will be held on Saturday 19 October in Gort Mart, Co Galway. A big selection of over 200 lots will be available.
Heifers range from elite pure bred registered to commercial females. The commercial section will span from half-bred right up to pure-bred non-registered animals.