The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society says the tool should make sire selection clearer and more data-led
A new Aberdeen-Angus breeding index has been launched to help dairy farmers select sires that combine easier calving with stronger calf growth and carcass value.
The Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society says its new Dairy Beef Index is the first dedicated tool of its kind to be introduced by a UK beef breed society.
It brings together a range of commercially important traits into a single figure, giving farmers a clearer way to compare bulls on their suitability for dairy-beef systems.
Index values are expressed as the expected profit per calf born, in pounds, relative to the Aberdeen-Angus genetic baseline.
For example, a bull with an index value of £120 would be expected to generate £50 more per calf than one with a value of £70, based on the combined impact of calving, growth and carcass performance.
Robert Gilchrist, chief executive of the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, said the tool was designed to simplify breeding decisions for dairy farmers.
“The Dairy Beef Index brings together the traits that matter from both a dairy and beef perspective, giving farmers greater confidence that the genetics they select will suit the dairy herd while also producing a calf that will perform well in a beef system,” he said.
The index incorporates estimated breeding values covering calving ease, gestation length, 200-day and 400-day weights, carcass traits and intramuscular fat.
Mr Gilchrist said the inclusion of intramuscular fat reflected the increasing value being placed on eating quality.
“Intramuscular fat has also been included in recognition of the growing importance and value being placed on eating quality,” he said.
The society said the index should help dairy farmers compare a wider pool of Aberdeen-Angus genetics, whether sourcing walking bulls, buying through sales or selecting semen.
Mr Gilchrist said this could be particularly valuable as more beef enters the supply chain from the dairy herd.
“With more beef now coming from the dairy herd, the breeding decisions made at dairy level have an increasingly important bearing on both dairy efficiency and the value of cattle entering the beef supply chain,” he said.
He added that selecting genetics which support easy calving and efficient dairy cow performance, while also producing calves with strong growth and carcass potential, could improve overall system efficiency.
The new index also aligns with the ambitions of the GB Calf Strategy 2025-2030, of which the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society is a signatory.
The strategy aims to ensure every calf is reared with care, purpose and value.
“Having greater choice of genetics while still being able to make a data-led breeding decision is of real value to the dairy sector,” Mr Gilchrist said.
“There is now a clear and consistent way for dairy farmers to compare a much wider pool of Aberdeen-Angus genetics and identify bulls with the combination of traits best suited to their own dairy system.”
The Dairy Beef Index is now available for all bulls registered with the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society, with individual information accessible through the society’s website.