Farmers try to produce top bull calves
Abreeding company is in the market for New Zealand’s best bull calves, and some Southland farmers will be trying their luck.
CRV Ambreed breeding manager Aaron Parker said calving had begun and it was time for farmers to get in touch with the herd improvement company if they had a top-notch bull calf hit the paddock.
‘‘Year-on-year we’re carefully building a portfolio of genetics to suit a broad range of environments, conditions and farming systems to ensure New Zealand’s dairy industry is successful well into the future,’’ he said.
‘‘If a bull is nominated for our breeding programme, and is successful, it’s a lucrative source of income. The farmer becomes part of an influential group of breeders contributing to genetic diversity and the overall advancement of New Zealand’s national herd.’’
If a bull calf is selected for CRV Ambreed’s sire-providing programme, farmers have the option to sell their bull for about $1250 plus a royalty of five per cent of the gross amount of its semen sales or a purchase price of $4000 or $2000 plus an additional payment if the bull is an InSire graduate or $5000 plus an additional payment if the bull is a proven graduate.
An additional $500 bonus payment is awarded if the bull results from an embryo transfer, and $1000 bonus is awarded if the bull is ranked in the top one per cent in New Zealand for New Zealand Merit Index (NZMI).
Parker said elite bull calves were usually sourced through CRV Ambreed’s contract mating programme, but it was through the yearly contract-free bull calf nomination process where more unique bulls were discovered.
‘‘We look for bulls whose daughters will be efficient producers and easy to manage for farmers. ‘Outcross’ or uncommon bloodlines are also preferred.’’
Southland farmer owners Lyall and Jan Hopcroft and contract milkers Nick Templer and Anieka Venekamp, decided to try their luck in 2015 with a son of one of their favourite cows, Jassie.
Anieka Venekamp said Jassie was only three-years-old when she had son Jasper, but had an outstanding udder and temperament.
‘‘She would catch my eye every time I was in the paddock, then when her herd test results came in we knew we were definitely onto a winner,’’ Venekamp said.
‘‘We breed for udder, protein, temperament and capacity and she ticked all the boxes. She was the cow I was really hoping to get a heifer out of, so when Jasper was born I thought I would try him with CRV.’’
She said they have five cows lined up this calving season and would nominate their calves if they were bulls.
Parker said CRV Ambreed was always keen to chat with farmers who had not nominated a bull calf before. ‘‘Even if one of your top breeding cows is in-calf for another breeding company, let us know about it so we can consider the genetic value and let you know if we are interested. We might be keen to genotype a bull calf, even if we know we don’t have first option,’’ he said.