Trevor Boland farms part time in Dromard, Co Sligo. The farm is split roughly half between owned and leased land. 50 cows are calved in an autumn calving system with all replacements bred from within the herd. In 2024 approximately 80% of the calf crop born so far were sired by AI. The male progeny are sold at just under a year old while the heifers are retained for finishing at under 24 months. Replacement heifers are bred solely from within the herd. He also buys in around 40 dairy beef heifers as stores which are finished at the back end of the year. The herd is an active participant in HerdPlus, Gene Ireland, SCEP and NGP.
Approximately 20 test bull straws are selected annually from the Gene Ireland catalogue and used at the start of the AI season to produce high quality replacements. Each year the target is to have around six high index heifers calving under 24 months with a balance of replacement and terminal traits. All the first calving heifers are bred to Angus and Salers sires. The predominant cow breeds are Salers, Limousin and Angus. This years calf crop are mainly sired by a mix of Angus, Charolais, Limousin and Salers sires.
The average Replacement Index of the cows in the herd is a most impressive €137 – this compares to the national average of approximately €99. This high level of genetic merit is backed up with a hugely impressive set of KPIs for such a large and part time herd. The most recent figures for the herd indicate an average calving interval of just 365 days compared to the national average of 397 days.
One of the standout cows in the herd is tag 678. Sired by the Gene Ireland graduate sire Spiddal Pat (SA4461), she was born in 2019. This cow first calved at 24 months and has produced a calf each year with a lifetime average calving interval of just 363 days. She has produced two bull and two heifer calves – both of the heifer calves have been retained in the herd. The cow herself currently is 5 stars with a Replacement Index of €190 and weighed 704 kgs when weighed in the summer of 2024. She is yet another example of what can be achieved in the suckler industry through a combination of elite genetics and top-class management.
To order your Gene Ireland straws, please call ICBF on 023 8820452.