ICBF has recently published the September 2018 beef evaluations. This has seen the Euro-Star indexes for all suckler cows, heifers, stock bull and AI bulls updated. The Animal Search, Active Bull Lists, Stock Bull Finder, sales catalogues and all online profiles have now been updated with the new evaluation figures.
Top 10
The Top 10 bulls on the replacement index active bull list include 4 Salers, 3 Limousin, 1 Simmental, 1 Charolais and 1 Belgian Blue. The top bull on the Replacement Index Active Bull List is Salers bull Beguin (SA4059) with a Replacement Index of €259.
The top 10 on the Terminal list is made up of 5 Belgian Blue, 4 Charolais and 1 Limousin. The top bull on the Terminal Index Active Bull List is Belgian Blue bull Giga Du Bois Remont (RGG) with a Terminal index of €186.
Replacement Index
Salers bull Beguin (SA4059) again tops the Replacement list with an index of €259 (5 star). Beguin’s index value remains at €259 and his reliability has increased by 3%, meaning he remains the number one Replacement Index sire. Beguin is also a 5 star Terminal bull with a Terminal index of €148. The second highest bull on the Replacement list is Ulsan (SA2189) with a Replacement index of €217. Ulsan has increased by €7 since the last evaluation.
The highest ranked Limousin on the Replacement active bull list is Castleview Gazelle (ZAG) who also ranks fourth overall with a Replacement index of €186. ZAG also performs well terminally with a Terminal Index of €123. Gazelle’s replacement index has increased by €4 since the previous evaluation. Gazelle has added a lot of progeny records to this evaluation with a further 6,736 calving difficulty records, 2,661 gestation records, 336 weaning weights and 1,993 carcass records being added to name just a few. These can be viewed in the Evaluation History tab.
| Top 5 Biggest Risers (Replacement) | |||
| AI Code | Breed | Replacement Index Change | Comment |
| AU4620 | AU | €62 | First genomic proof. +16.13kg on Carcass weight. +21.13kg on Cow liveweight |
| S1515 | SI | €55 | Improvement in Calving Difficulty% and major improvement in Milk+10.8kg. |
| BB4611 | BB | €55 | First Genomic proof. Calving Difficulty% -3.95%. 12.5kg increase in Carcass weight. Cull cow weight improvement |
| LER | HE | €45 | Reliability previously 1%, now 3%. |
| BB4607 | BB | €45 | First genomic proof. Calving Difficulty % -4.15%. Carcass weight +7.5kg. |
| Top 5 Biggest Fallers (Replacement) | |||
| AI Code | Breed | Replacement Index Change | Comment |
| ZEP | AA | -€57 | Age of first calving increased by 13 days. More daughter records. Carcass weight -8kg. Milk -4.1kg |
| S1442 | BB | -€39 | Increase in Calving Difficulty%. Age of first calving disimprovement of 9.2 days |
| DX4441 | DX | -€38 | Age of first calving increased 13 days. Disimprovements across beef traits except conformation. Improvement in Cow liveweight. |
| F214 | SI | -€37 | Cow liveweight +8kg. More daughter weights included. Milk -3.9kg. More daughter cow milk scores & maternal weaning weights included |
| LAC | HE | -€32 | Age of first calving increased + 6.4 days. |
Please click here to access the active bull lists.
Commercial farmers will be interested to note that the Replacement Index Euro-Star ‘cut-offs’ have increased by €2 for both 4 and 5 stars to €82 and €101 respectively. These breed percentiles are a reflection of the current population of beef animals and this upward trend is likely to continue into the future as more high Replacement Index animals are born.
