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Know How / Beef / Breeding and fertility

Good fertility is the foundation of a profitable beef herd. Here you can find the latest breeding developments including advice on selecting genetics, using genomics and EBVs. Learn how to improve heat detection and conception rates to maximise the number of calves born in your herd.

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Case studies

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GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How selection pressure is building a resilient beef herd

New farming entrants Nikki and James Yoxall take a tough line when selecting replacements for their steadily growing herd of beef cattle. Faced with more frequent extremes in weather brought…

BEEF

Radical change to system comes with switch to pedigree beef

A desire to improve animal health drove the Gilbert family to radically change their farming system.  Before 2018, the family kept a mix of breeds – Limousin-cross, Salers-cross, Blue-cross and…

BEEF

How French Limousin breeders work together to improve herds

An integrated approach to developing and promoting the Limousin breed in France is giving beef producers the tools to get the best from their cattle. The French Limousin organisation, Le…

BEEF

New entrants harness hills with £106 a cow winter feed cost

A young family owes a debt of thanks to an open-minded landlord and a small and hardy cow type that thrives on rough Cairngorm hill country. Without the faith of…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How a Canadian breeder created a simpler suckler system

Canadian cattle breeder Arron Nerbas has harnessed the power of epigenetics to improve ease of fleshing, fertility and foraging ability in his cows. Cows run with the bull for 55…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How a beef farmer simplified herd management using genetics

With a job off-farm and a small pool of available labour, breeding “hands-free” cattle is a key priority for third-generation farmer Adam Quinney. Reins Farm, near Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, comprises 150ha…

Practical advice

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BREEDING AND FERTILITY

7 tips to manage heifers calving at two years

Calving beef heifers at 24 months increases the lifetime productivity of the cow and reduces rearing costs, as well as lowering the carbon footprint of the herd. However, careful management,…

CALVING

Why assisted beef calvings carry a heavy cost

Attitudes to calving ease vary widely among suckler beef producers. While some clients expect to calve one-third to half of their heifers, and consider this acceptable, others are disappointed if…

CALVING

How to manage difficult calvings in beef cattle

A growing evidence base can be used by farmers to pre-empt difficulties in the calving shed and stay a step ahead of issues. Once a hygienic and safe environment is…

BEEF

5 ways to reduce assisted calvings for improved fertility

Bad calvings are bad for business, yet too many farmers are still assisting cows at calving. This is something suckler farmer Terence Pye believes must change. “We know bad calvings…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Why recording sires could lead to better breeding outcomes

Millions of data points from abattoirs and farms are going to waste because farmers are opting not to record the sire on mandatory paperwork. Industry leaders say this is a…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

9 ways a farm is lifting beef cow efficiency

Modelling work by the Stabiliser Cattle Company (SCC) shows that suckler beef farmers can reduce their carbon footprint by 40% with better management and the right genetics. For Harri Parri,…

Insights

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SHEEP

Why "breed snobbery" could challenge liveweight sales

A desire to change the system, lower the cost base and move towards self-replacing maternal genetics has left some businesses in the cold when selling liveweight, Farmers Weekly has heard.…

BEEF

Why clear identification of polled genetics is needed

Disbudding calves is a challenging and expensive job and, as herds scale up and calving patterns tighten, it can put huge financial and time pressure on beef farmers. But, while…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How pedigree breeds have changed in each sector

We looked at the latest data and spoke to industry experts to find out more about the changing picture for pedigree animals. We look at the dairy, beef, sheep and…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Lim-gate: What next for EBVs?

The exposure of errors relating to the registration of birth dates and parentage of cattle last year brought into question the legitimacy and accuracy of data feeding into Estimated Breeding…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Why calving ease should be suckler herd priority

Selecting bulls with a positive calving ease estimated breeding value (EBV) should be a priority for suckler producers who are aiming to improve herd efficiency, a study has shown. Researchers…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Livestock gene editing: Current rules and potential benefits

The potential to make our own legislation after leaving the EU could provide scope for gene editing of livestock to become mainstream in the UK. Gene editing changes a precise…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Trial shows huge merit of using EBVs with beef herds

Using bulls with a higher terminal index can be worth more than £80 a finished calf, according to new research carried out at Harper Adams University. Using Hereford bulls, the…

LIVESTOCK

Finishing results reveal high reliability of EBVs

Repeating a trial comparing the performance of terminal beef sires has shown estimated breeding values (EBVs) are highly reliable, with higher genetic merit progeny outperforming calves bred from bulls with…

BEEF

Breeder outlines a new direction for a better beef industry

The beef industry requires an urgent change of direction with emphasis put on breeding and feed efficiencies to counter the effects of continuing commodity price volatility and uncertainty over farm…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Finishing performance of terminal sires compared

Calves sired by bulls with higher terminal indices record heavier carcass weights resulting in returns worth an additional £45/animal when compared to progeny of bulls with lower genetic merit. Harper…