Backmuir take Bronze in 2024 Simmental Miss Europe The results are in and British Simmental genetics are again to the fore in this year’s online 2024 Simmental Championship of Europe, taking silver in the Overall Champion of Europe, and bronze in the Simmental Miss...
Backmuir Kenzie’s Nespresso make 9500gns 8500gns Islavale Raven wins Weaned Calf Championship Maiden heifers average £5024 Simm X Hi Health heifers average £1823 The December 2023 born Islavale Peace from WS Stronach, Berryleys Farm, Grange, Keith sold for 15,000gns...
• Lisglass Heifer wins Senior Championship • Haystar Revolver lifts the Junior Championship Northern Ireland Simmental breeders were out in force at the fourth staging of the NI Club’s Annual Calf Show held on Saturday 30th November, at Ballymena Livestock Market....
In a massive endorsement of British Simmental’s commercial abilities, data from AHDB’s National Beef Evaluations has confirmed that on average, calves by a Simmental sire finish 36 days earlier than those by continental sires and 46 days earlier than calves by native sires; Simmental sired calves can cost £72 less to finish; and that fast finishing equates to 5.4kg less CO2 equivalents. The data also highlights the advantages of Simmental females with continental sired calves out of Simmental dams finishing 29 days earlier than the average of all suckler dams!
AHDB’s National Beef Evaluations produce EBVs for five carcase and three maternal traits for all breeds and crossbred cattle across the UK. Rather than using performance recorded data, data is collated nationally from BCMS, as well as many of the UK’s largest processors and abattoirs. This database includes records from over 3 million animals slaughtered in the last 10 years, which allows AHDB to estimate the genetic merit of beef cattle, including over 500,000 sires, for days to slaughter, carcase weight and EUROP scores.
Days to slaughter has a huge effect on the efficiency of a farm. Animals which take longer to finish cost more in terms of feed, so reduce overall profit. These animals also produce more greenhouse gases and so reducing days to slaughter reduces the carbon footprint of your beef. In the National Beef Evaluations, Simmentals rank highly for this trait in Continental Breeds (August 2023and have, on average, the best genetic merit for reducing days to slaughter. The actual performance data of Simmental bred offspring can also be looked at to see how this translates to actual performance.
Across all types of dams (blue bars), offspring of registered Simmental sires have the lowest average days to slaughter.
It’s important to remember that a bull only provides half of the genetics inherited by a calf. The other half comes from the dam.
Commenting, British Simmental Cattle Society President Norman Robson said: “British Simmental is a hard-working, no nonsense beef breed that delivers on all-round performance and profitability for commercial beef producers and these figures confirm and highlight that. In the forward industry with a pressure on costs, there really is going to be a premium on efficiency. Simmentals are showing here, in data over ten years, that they give you more both maternally and terminally. Industry leading at age at slaughter whether sired by a Simmental or out of a Simmental dam, significant reduction in finishing costs, and lower emissions meeting environmental challenges. Add that to the breeds well established maternal qualities of easy and regular calving, milk, fertility, and longevity and its just good economics for beef producers.
“Earlier in the year the Simmental Bull Buyer’s Survey saw the commercial performance of the breed get a 94% approval rate. These latest figures hugely add to that and as breeders we will collectively keep working hard at producing Simmental cattle to meet the needs of commercial producers.”
The released data comes on the eve of the Stirling Simmental Bull Sale due to be held at United Auctions, Stirling on Monday 23rd October.
