Popular bulls in Irish beef herds
Lapon, which, according to Rosalish Goulding, is Progressive Genetics’ best-selling Charolais bull, was the most used beef sire in Irish suckler herds this spring.
That is according to data from the ICBF (Irish Cattle Breeding Federation), which the body published earlier this week.
It analysed AI handheld serves associated with sires from January 1st, 2022, to June 30th, 2022.
Popular beef bulls
Lapon topped the list with 6,742 serves, while the popular Limousin bull, Knell (AI code: LM4217), stood second with 4,819 serves.
The ever-popular ZAG (Castleview Gazelle), another Limousin, was the third most used sire with 4,689 serves.
Another Limousin, Ewdenvale Ivor (LM2014), recorded the next highest number of serves at 2,522, while EBY (Elderberry Galahad) followed at 2,219.
At 2,022 serves was another Limousin bull, Powerful Proper (AI code: LM7416), while next in line was an Aberdeen Angus bull, Intelagri Matteo (ET), AI code: 1,996, with 1,996 serves.
The eighth most popular bull was a Charolais, Cloonaradoon Ricky (AI code: CH7504), with 1,845 serves.
HW Farghal T516 (AI code: AA4640) was the second Angus to feature, with 1,463, while Charolais bull, Orbi (AI code: CH6490) rounded off the ten-strong list with 1,362 serves.
The list contains:
- 3 Charolais;
- 2 Aberdeen Angus;
- 5 Limousin.
According to the federation, it recorded 72,103 beef serves on handhelds during the first six months of 2022.
As per this news article, which That’s Farming published in September 2022, Knell, Castleview Gazelle, Lapon, Intelagri Matteo (ET), Elderberry Galahad and Ewdenvale Ivor re-appeared on this year’s list.
| The % of handheld serves by beef breed used on beef cows [Source: ICBF] | |||||||||||||
| Breed | LM | CH | AA | BB | SI | HE | SH | SA | AU | BA | PT | Other | |
| No. serves | 26,810 | 18,155 | 10,423 | 5,104 | 3,859 | 2,672 | 1,446 | 1,430 | 1,127 | 352 | 226 | 499 | |
| % Total | 37.2% | 25.2% | 14.5% | 7.1% | 5.4% | 3.7% | 2.0% | 2.0% | 1.6% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% | |
Limousin top of the ranks
ICBF has concluded that Limousin is the number one most used beef breed in suckler herds, with 26,810 handheld serves recorded.
Charolais, it says, is the second most popular beef breed in suckler herds, with 18,155 handheld serves recorded.
Aberdeen Angus is the third most utilised beef breed in suckler herds, with 10,423 handheld serves recorded.
There was a total of 1,090 beef bulls recorded on handhelds during the first six months of 2022.
