An animal breeding programme should consist of three  parts: an objective, a programme design and animal selection. In other words the ‘what,’ ‘how’ and ‘who’ necessary to improve your stock.

If you don’t already have suitable advice on hand, find someone reliable, independent and knowledgeable, and work out a strategy with them to put the best possible genetic foundations into your herd.

Your objective should recognise what your target market demands: what do they want from what you are producing, and how might long-term trends influence them in future?

To reach that objective, set three to five priority traits for your herd, specifying targets and a time line: increasing sale weight per cow, increasing compliance to market specifications, or decreasing mature female size might be among your priorities. Tie these targets to a set number of seasons: assessing where you need to be in five years helps you focus and makes the process manageable

Good selection rolls on down the generations. Your bull is the major influence on the herd genetics. Progeny from your bull will be born over the next three years, slaughtered over the next four, and female progeny used for breeding over the next ten years, so selection decisions have long-term consequences and will pay you back over an extended period.

In the PGG Wrightson Livestock National Genetics team, breeding better business is our mission: enabling farmers to put more value into what they produce, and therefore generate greater returns. If that is your objective, we’d love to help, and look forward to hearing from you. Get in touch with the team today.

Looking to attend a bull sale? Check out the 2023 full schedule.