There’s been a lot of talk about this week’s release of new updated terminal and replacement indexes and its generated a lot of debate in suckler circles.
The ICBF update do six evaluation runs each year to include new data at each run.
This normally doesn’t change bull rankings that much, but the inclusion of updated costings, a carbon sub-index and a change in the way that calving difficulty is calculated has caused more movement in this run than in the others that took place in 2023.
The terminal hasn’t seen a huge amount of change, with Charolais and Limousin bulls dominating the list along with two Belgian Blue bulls.
The Belgian Blue breed has been hit hardest, dropping down to two bulls on the top 10, down from six on the last evaluation run in September.
Pictures
Topping the list is the Limousin bull Gstaad (LM4366), pictured above.
His terminal index is a massive €190 coupled, with a carcase weight figure of +42kg along with a beef calving difficulty figure of just 2.5%. He was number two in the top 10 in the September evaluation run.
He is marketed through Eurogene AI and straws cost €18. There is a low number of calving’s in the ICBF database recorded, with 199 beef calving records and four dairy calving records in the system.
The Belgian Blue bull Giga du Bois Remont takes up the number two position.
Number 2: Giga du Bois Remont.
His current terminal index is €175, with a carcase weight figure of 40kg and a calving difficulty figure of 8%. He has dropped one position from the last run. There are currently 1,027 suckler calvings in the database and 14 dairy calvings.
He is marketed by Dovea Genetics and costs €10/straw.
Coming up as the top third bull is the Charolais bull, Whitecliffe Orwell.
Number 3: Whitecliffe Orwell.
He comes into the top three, with a terminal index of €169, and moves up seven places from tenth in the last evaluation run. He’s got a carcase weight figure of +43kg and a calving difficulty figure of 5%.
He is marketed through Eurogene AI and costs €14/straw. He’s got 689 beef calvings and 33 dairy calvings in the database.
Number four on the list is the Limousin bull, Whiskey Infinity, with a terminal index of €165.
Number 4: Whiskey Infinity.
He has a carcase weight figure of +36kg and a beef calving difficulty figure of 3.8%. He has dropped one position down from number three in the last run.
He has 71 beef calvings in the database, along with 11 dairy cow calvings. He’s marketed through Bull Bank and costs €12/straw.
Coming in at number five, is the Charolais bull Culmvale Novello.
Number 5: Culmvale Novello.
This is the first time Novello comes into the top 10 moving up from sixteenth on the last run. He’s got a terminal index of +48kg along with a calving figure of 6.4%.
There are just 36 calvings in the database on this bull. He is sired by Thrunton Fairfax out of a Blelack Digger cow.
He’s available through NCBC and costs €18/straw.
Number six on the list is another Charoalis bull, Love P.
Number 6: Love P.
He’s another newcomer to the top 10 list, with a terminal index of €158.
His carcase weight figure comes in at 44kg, along with a calving figure of 3.4%, and he’s a Castor son out of a Tombapik cow.
He’s got 123 calving records in the database and is available through Dovea Genetics, costing €12/straw.
The number seven spot goes to the well-known Limousin bull, Tomschoice Lexicon.
Number 7: Tomschoice Lexicon.
The Kaprico Eravelle son has a terminal index of €157 and a carcase weight figure of +30kg, along with a calving figure of 3%.
There are 781 beef calving records in the database and 31 dairy calving records. He is marketed through World Wide Sires and costs €20/straw.
Number eight spot goes to Kilcombe Locky ET, a Belgian Blue bull. He's moved down from fifth place on the last run.
He has a terminal index of €156 and a carcase weight figure of +39kg. He is available through Dovea Genetics and costs €10/straw.
The ninth bull on the list is the also well-known Charolais bull, Knockmoyle Loki ET. He moves up one position from number 11 in the last run.
Number 9: Knockmoyle Loki ET.
He has a terminal index of €155, a carcase weight figure of +36kg and a calving difficulty figure of 6.2%.
He is way out in front in terms of record in the database, with 10,354 beef calvings recorded. He is available through Dovea Genetics and costs €15/straw.
Taking up the final spot on the top 10 list is the Limousin bull, Carmorn Marty, a Limousin bull.
Number 10: Carmorn Marty.
He has a terminal index of €152, a carcase weight figure of +34 kg, along with a calving figure of 4.6%. There are currently 47 calving records in the database on him.
He has the lowest reliability (55%) of all the bulls in the top 10 list. He is available through Eurogene AI and costs €12/straw.
There’s been a lot of talk about this week’s release of new updated terminal and replacement indexes and its generated a lot of debate in suckler circles.
The ICBF update do six evaluation runs each year to include new data at each run.
This normally doesn’t change bull rankings that much, but the inclusion of updated costings, a carbon sub-index and a change in the way that calving difficulty is calculated has caused more movement in this run than in the others that took place in 2023.
The terminal hasn’t seen a huge amount of change, with Charolais and Limousin bulls dominating the list along with two Belgian Blue bulls.
The Belgian Blue breed has been hit hardest, dropping down to two bulls on the top 10, down from six on the last evaluation run in September.
Pictures
Topping the list is the Limousin bull Gstaad (LM4366), pictured above.
His terminal index is a massive €190 coupled, with a carcase weight figure of +42kg along with a beef calving difficulty figure of just 2.5%. He was number two in the top 10 in the September evaluation run.
He is marketed through Eurogene AI and straws cost €18. There is a low number of calving’s in the ICBF database recorded, with 199 beef calving records and four dairy calving records in the system.
The Belgian Blue bull Giga du Bois Remont takes up the number two position.
Number 2: Giga du Bois Remont.
His current terminal index is €175, with a carcase weight figure of 40kg and a calving difficulty figure of 8%. He has dropped one position from the last run. There are currently 1,027 suckler calvings in the database and 14 dairy calvings.
He is marketed by Dovea Genetics and costs €10/straw.
Coming up as the top third bull is the Charolais bull, Whitecliffe Orwell.
Number 3: Whitecliffe Orwell.
He comes into the top three, with a terminal index of €169, and moves up seven places from tenth in the last evaluation run. He’s got a carcase weight figure of +43kg and a calving difficulty figure of 5%.
He is marketed through Eurogene AI and costs €14/straw. He’s got 689 beef calvings and 33 dairy calvings in the database.
Number four on the list is the Limousin bull, Whiskey Infinity, with a terminal index of €165.
Number 4: Whiskey Infinity.
He has a carcase weight figure of +36kg and a beef calving difficulty figure of 3.8%. He has dropped one position down from number three in the last run.
He has 71 beef calvings in the database, along with 11 dairy cow calvings. He’s marketed through Bull Bank and costs €12/straw.
Coming in at number five, is the Charolais bull Culmvale Novello.
Number 5: Culmvale Novello.
This is the first time Novello comes into the top 10 moving up from sixteenth on the last run. He’s got a terminal index of +48kg along with a calving figure of 6.4%.
There are just 36 calvings in the database on this bull. He is sired by Thrunton Fairfax out of a Blelack Digger cow.
He’s available through NCBC and costs €18/straw.
Number six on the list is another Charoalis bull, Love P.
Number 6: Love P.
He’s another newcomer to the top 10 list, with a terminal index of €158.
His carcase weight figure comes in at 44kg, along with a calving figure of 3.4%, and he’s a Castor son out of a Tombapik cow.
He’s got 123 calving records in the database and is available through Dovea Genetics, costing €12/straw.
The number seven spot goes to the well-known Limousin bull, Tomschoice Lexicon.
Number 7: Tomschoice Lexicon.
The Kaprico Eravelle son has a terminal index of €157 and a carcase weight figure of +30kg, along with a calving figure of 3%.
There are 781 beef calving records in the database and 31 dairy calving records. He is marketed through World Wide Sires and costs €20/straw.
Number eight spot goes to Kilcombe Locky ET, a Belgian Blue bull. He's moved down from fifth place on the last run.
He has a terminal index of €156 and a carcase weight figure of +39kg. He is available through Dovea Genetics and costs €10/straw.
The ninth bull on the list is the also well-known Charolais bull, Knockmoyle Loki ET. He moves up one position from number 11 in the last run.
Number 9: Knockmoyle Loki ET.
He has a terminal index of €155, a carcase weight figure of +36kg and a calving difficulty figure of 6.2%.
He is way out in front in terms of record in the database, with 10,354 beef calvings recorded. He is available through Dovea Genetics and costs €15/straw.
Taking up the final spot on the top 10 list is the Limousin bull, Carmorn Marty, a Limousin bull.
Number 10: Carmorn Marty.
He has a terminal index of €152, a carcase weight figure of +34 kg, along with a calving figure of 4.6%. There are currently 47 calving records in the database on him.
He has the lowest reliability (55%) of all the bulls in the top 10 list. He is available through Eurogene AI and costs €12/straw.
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