Derryharney achieves greatest NI Charolais herd genetic improvement

The Derryharney Charolais herd owned by Harold Stubbs in partnership with his grandson, Alan Burleigh has been recognised with the Harman Charolais Genetic Improvement Award 2017 for making the greatest genetic progress amongst the breed's NI herds during the last 12 months.
By The Newsroom
Published 27th Feb 2017, 11:18 BST
Updated 1st Mar 2017, 08:39 BST
Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh receive their award from Ben HarmanHarold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh receive their award from Ben Harman
Harold Stubbs and Alan Burleigh receive their award from Ben Harman

Herd progress was measured by the highest improvement in the Self Replacing Index (SRI) for the calves born in 2015, and recorded over the 2015/2016 recording years. During that period, the 20 cow Derryharney herd SRI increased by 5.4 points to an average SRI of +32.5.

“We are pleased to receive this award for Northern Ireland and to endorse the fact Breedplan data is a useful additional selection tool,” says Alan of Crummy, Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh.

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“We introduced Breedplan performance recording when we established the partnership eight years ago and started to build up cow numbers. Performance recording is one of those things that has to be done, not only for our own selection purposes, but to inform our commercial bull buyers both at home and across the water of the potential performance a bull is going to pass on to his progeny.

“We select new herd sires for ease of calving and growth rate, they must be within the breed’s top 5% to 10% and ones which have made the most recent impact are Blelack Digger and Goldies Eddy – both of which meet our criteria. Our focus is now on continuing to improve the herd’s SRI and at the same time maintain their quality conformation.”

The winning members for England are BA and PT Heath, (Sackville) with a 12-month SRI improvement of +9.9 to an average SRI of +52.6; Wales: Gareth Jones (Esgob) +2.4 to an average SRI of +41.8; Scotland: WR Mill (Forsie) +9.1 to an average SRI of +43.9.

Ben Harman commented: “The winners of this year’s awards are at the pinnacle of the modern Charolais breeders who are embracing Breedplan to improve their own herds and to meet the demand from our customers.

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“Suckled calf producers looking for easy calving bulls with exceptional growth rates are using Breedplan performance figures to identify the bulls which are best suited to deliver progeny that consistently out perform all others in the market and slaughter houses throughout the UK.

“Whatever the market requires, Charolais can deliver quicker and more efficiently than any other breed.”