Co Antrim farmers turn to cattle genetics to make smarter breeding decisions

James Orr discusses genotyping with Senior CAFRE Beef and Sheep Adviser Rachel Megarrell.

A Co Antrim father and son are using genetic testing to take some of the guesswork out of breeding decisions on their family farm — uncovering differences within their cattle that cannot necessarily be spotted simply by looking at them.

James Orr farms alongside his father William near Ballintoy, where the family runs a suckler herd of around 100 cows, mainly Limousin-Simmental crosses alongside Belgian Blue and Charolais cattle.

After taking part in a pilot bovine genetics project last year, they received detailed genetic information on more than half of their cows and their replacement heifers.

The results are now influencing which bulls James intends to match with individual animals — and could help him avoid genetic combinations associated with increased difficulty at calving.

“When it comes to breeding genotyping gives me more confidence that I am selecting the right bulls to cross with the right cows,” James said.

Their experience comes into sharper focus this week following the opening of Northern Ireland’s Bovine Genetics Genotyping Scheme on Tuesday, 1 September, giving other farmers the opportunity to access similar information on their breeding stock.

What did the Orr family discover?

James and William participated in the pilot Bovine Genetics Project with Sustainable Ruminant Genetics (SRG) last year, genotyping just over half of their cows along with replacement heifers.

The individual reports they received provided information including breed makeup, sire and dam details and the myostatin status of each animal.

For James, the myostatin results were particularly interesting.

Myostatin genes can influence characteristics such as muscle development, but certain combinations can also be important when farmers consider potential calving difficulty.

The testing showed whether individual cattle carried zero, one or two copies of different myostatin genes.

Six cows in the Orr herd were found to carry two copies of the F94L myostatin gene, while more than 30 carried one copy. Four cows carried one copy of the Q204X gene.

The information allowed James to compare what the genetic testing revealed with the physical characteristics he was already seeing in his cattle.

Reports also identified carriers of the polled gene, which is dominant over the horned condition and can provide useful information about the likelihood of offspring developing horns.

For the Orrs, however, the real value lies in being able to use that information when deciding how individual animals should be bred.

Reducing risk when choosing bulls

The family operates a split-calving system, with most cows calving during August and September and the remainder in spring.

Autumn-calving cows can be artificially inseminated while housed, while the spring-calving animals are bred with a Charolais bull carrying the F94L myostatin gene associated with increased muscling.

William has traditionally concentrated on producing a milky suckler cow capable of giving calves a strong start, resulting in the herd being based largely around rotational Simmental-Limousin breeding.

Knowing the myostatin status of individual cows now gives James another piece of information to consider before choosing a sire.

It means he can avoid particular combinations of double-muscling genes where they could potentially increase the likelihood of difficult calvings.

Figures show herd ahead of NI calving average

Genotyping was not the only information the Orrs received through the project.

A separate calving performance report, based on birth events recorded on NIFAIS, provided a picture of how the herd was performing.

It showed the family’s cows had an average calving interval of 378 days during the previous year.

That was 24 days shorter than the Northern Ireland suckler herd average of 402 days quoted in the project information.

The reports can also show farmers how many cows calve each month, the proportion calving during the first six weeks of the season and the percentage of “recycled cows” — animals which fail to go in calf and are carried from one breeding season into another.

For commercial suckler farmers, those measurements can help highlight both strong performance and areas where fertility or herd management could potentially be improved.

Genetic results now shaping breeding plans

James is already planning to put the information gathered through the project to practical use.

This year he intends to inseminate 25 cows with sexed Simmental semen, while replacement heifers will receive sexed Limousin semen from high-index sires of moderate stature.

He has used sexed semen for several years to produce replacements from cows he considers his strongest maternal animals.

The remainder of the herd will be served using a Limousin sire selected for growth and carcase traits.

Genotyping means those decisions can increasingly be informed not only by an animal’s appearance and performance, but by information about the genetics it carries.

Other NI farmers can now take part

The Orr family’s experience comes as the first phase of the Northern Ireland Bovine Genetics Genotyping Scheme opens to current and future breeding stock, including cows, heifers and bulls.

The additional tags and genotyping carry a cost of £13 per animal, but that cost is being covered by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs through the scheme.

The programme is due to expand from 1 January 2027, when genotyping will open for all calves, both male and female.

Sustainable Ruminant Genetics is also developing further tools intended to help farmers turn genetic information into breeding decisions.

From 2027, these are expected to include a Maternal Index to help identify animals best suited to producing suckler replacements and a Terminal Index aimed at identifying sires for producing beef animals destined for slaughter.

A Commercial Beef Value index is also planned, allowing commercial beef cattle to be compared across breeds, regardless of whether they originate from dairy or beef herds.

Farmers interested in registering for the Bovine Genetics Project or finding out more about genotyping can visit: www.srgni.com

Alternatively, they can contact Sustainable Ruminant Genetics on 028 2046 2280 or speak to their approved tag supplier.

For James and William Orr, the technology is already moving genetic information from a report into everyday decisions on the farm — providing another tool for selecting replacements, choosing sires and planning the next generation of their Co Antrim herd.