Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society launches Dairy Beef Index
© MAG/Judith Tooth The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society has launched a breeding tool to help dairy farmers select genetics that will suit the dairy herd while also producing a good beef calf.
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The Dairy Beef Index, which was launched at UK Dairy Day, brings together a range of profit-focused traits into one dairy-focused selection tool.
This includes calving ease, gestation length, and growth measures such as 200- and 400-day weights, as well as carcass traits.
Robert Gilchrist, chief executive officer of the Aberdeen Angus Cattle Society, says the new index aligns closely with the ambitions of the GB Calf Strategy 2025-2030 (to which the Society is a signatory). These are to ensure every calf is reared with care, purpose and value.
Best of both worlds
“Selecting genetics that support easy calving and efficient dairy cow performance, while also producing a calf with strong growth and carcass potential, can help support a more sustainable system from both a dairy and beef perspective,” he says.
Index values are expressed as the expected profit (in pound sterling) for each calf born, relative to the Aberdeen Angus genetic baseline. For example, if Bull A has an index value of £120 and Bull B £70, each calf from Bull A would be expected to return £50 more than one from Bull B, based on the combined value of calving, growth and carcass performance.
The Dairy Beef Index is now available for all bulls registered with the Society, and information can be accessed through its website.