There are currently sixty AI sired heifers on test at the Tully test centre. These are the first heifers to ever enter the Tully Gene Ireland test centre and they are from a range of 32 AI sires representing 7 breeds.
The following data will be collected on the heifers during their time in Tully and when they are slaughtered.
- Acclimatisation period: (30 days).
Vaccination IBR, BVD, RSV, PI3, Blackleg & other clostridia diseases.
- Diet
10kg concentrates and 3 kg hay fresh weight
- Performance test measures (90 day testing period).
Average daily gain (g/day), Feed conversion efficiency (DMI/ADG), Linear Scores, Scanned muscle and fat depth and intramuscular fat (mm).
Health & disease traits.
Recording lameness, genetic defects, pneumonia and other illnesses.
- Genomics
All heifers are Genotyped
Measurements obtained at the factory
- Meat quality
- Carcass wt, fat and conformation
- Primal yields
- British spec
- 19 different cuts
- pH
- Hourly and ultimate
- Meat eating quality
- Colour of loin
- Visual marbling of the loin
- Composition analysis
- Intramuscular fat %, protein % & moisture %
- Cook loss and shear force
- Sensory analysis
- NIRS spectra images
These heifers are not currently being bred in Tully but it is intended to do so in the future. The benefits of this are outlined below.
The main benefits of this program are the following:
- Evaluate maternal traits and therefore increase the reliability & accuracy in proofs of key AI sires.
- Inseminate the heifers to high index bulls and sell the in-calf heifers (scanned 30 days in-calf) to demonstration/research herds, once the performance test period has being completed.
- Capture feed intake on heifers and cull cows which is not currently being done at present.
- Capture meat quality data (where heifers may not go in-calf) and also on cull cows.
- Supplying these in-calf heifers to demonstration/research herds at the end of their test period. This will help accelerate the education of farmers in the benefits of high index breeding females.
| Targets: Heifers | Age |
| Purchase | 12 months |
| Breeding season | Start of heifer 14 month – end of heifer 16 month |
| Testing period/data collection | 12 (start) – end 16 months |
| Sell heifers scanned 30 days in-calf | End 18 months (leave Tully) |
| Calving dates | 23-25 months |
For more information on the Tully test centre, please click here