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Why the commercial farmer is now looking to Simmental to provide a base for future progress.
Ger Dineen, Kilnamartyr, Macroom, Co.Cork, runs an 80 cow suckler herd, with replacements. He says that his " best calves are from his 10 Simmental cows." He has tried maternally tested bulls from other breeds, but they did not have the one thing that he was looking for- and that was milk. He has a number of cows due this spring to the A.I Simmental, Hurtig (HRG).As Ger does his own A.I, he intends to use more Simmentals this year. Bulls that he will be using will include Hurtig (HRG) Plannet (AS12) Ballyduff Jeweller (BDJ) and Hillcrest King (HKG) He likes the Simmental for its docilty, ease of calving, milkiness and conformation. Docility is very important for him as he farms on his own and finds the Simmental very manageable.
James Costello, Dromard, Co.Sligo who runs a 60 cow suckler herd along with a flock of 200 ewes, changed to a Simmental bull as he found it very hard to source replacement heifers. He purchased a top Tully performance tested bull (top 1% of the breed) to produce class weanling bulls and quality heifers for his suckler replacements.
Pete Gallagher, Ballyhaunis, Co.Mayo, who specialises in the yearling bull beef trade for the Italian market with a contractual agreement with Kepak, is getting great results from his Simmental bulls. He feeds Simmental and Charolais weanlings and finds that they finish for the niche markets at 11 to 12 months, have a very high growth rate and grade U3 with a carcase weight of up to 330kgs. Pete tried other continental calves but found that they did not have sufficient growth rate. Pete is looking for weanling bulls all year round, weighing 350kg+, and eating meal. He has paid over €400 with the weight in 2002 for Simmental and Charolais, and can see himself doing the same in 2003.
Joseph O' Siochru, Burnham, Dingle, Co. Kerry, ruins a 60 cow suckler herd, mainly consisting of half and three quarter bred Simmental cows. He started of with a half bred Simmental and crossed with a Charolais stock bull. Each year he would A.I a number of his cows to Moltke- A.I Simmental bull in Dairygold- (MTE), to breed his own replacements. Joseph then went one step further and purchased a Simmental bull in 2001 and now has seven eight bred Simmental heifers on the ground. Joseph said that those calves have excellent conformation and he knows that they will have milk (knowing both dam and sire lines) As Joseph goes the route of upgrading his cows, he says that he is very pleased with Simmental due to their ease of calving, milk supply and conformation.
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