Raising new maternal index will be suckler herd objective

Due to the high cost of maintaining the suckler cow, it is essential to breed an efficient female, for cost-effective, sustainable, grass-based beef production systems, said advisers at last week’s suckler cow breeding conference in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

They said beef breeding in Ireland is at a new crossroads. There is increasing concern about maternal traits in the suckler herd, and there is evidence that fertility of beef females is declining.

To date, there is no obvious breeding index for selecting maternal attributes in males or females.