Breeding Prowess
In Our Herd
In the spring of 2010, the Todd cows were split into groups of approximately 200 head. Three, 2-year old Irish Black bulls were introduced to each group. They were run in pastures of 3-4 sections. At the end of the breeding season, the conception rates were very similar to previous years in which 8 bulls per 200 cows were used in the same pastures. Each of the Irish Black bulls had bred 65 cows on average. No bulls were culled for lameness or sheath injuries and all were available for breeding purposes the following year. As a result, the bull to cow ratio (3 bulls per 200 cows) remained the same for following breeding seasons.
Prepotency
Prepotency is the ability of a sire to transmit his characteristics onto his offspring. A prepotent bull will pass on his genotype (genetic makeup in DNA) as well as his phenotype (outward physical appearance) onto his offspring with consistency and uniformity. His bull calves should look like him, gain like him, and hang a carcass like him. His heifer calves should also be consistent in their conformation, mothering ability, udder structure, and their disposition, and fleshing ability. Bull calves should look like bulls and heifer calves should look like females. This ability to "stamp" his calves is hard to come by in many of today's bulls. This is primarily due to producers constantly breeding to an outcross bull to generate more hybrid vigor in the resulting calves. After several generations of "outcrossing", the advantages of hybrid vigor are lost due to the ever expanding gene pool. Calves lose their consistency from birth weight all the way to carcass traits.
If you want prepotent bulls, you must buy bulls developed in a linebred closed herd manner resulting in a very tight limited gene pool. The Irish Black breed has been developed in this manner and in one generation, you will see uniformity and consistency return to your cattle.
If you want prepotent bulls, you must buy bulls developed in a linebred closed herd manner resulting in a very tight limited gene pool. The Irish Black breed has been developed in this manner and in one generation, you will see uniformity and consistency return to your cattle.