Genetic Innovations Drive Success at Donegal Dairy and Beef Farm
Ryan McElhinney's farm, located near Letterkenny, County Donegal, has gained recognition by winning a dairy farmer finisher award from Foyle Food Group. The farm, which entered the dairy sector five years ago, now operates with a 130-cow spring-calving herd. It ranks among the top 5% nationally for the Economic Breeding Index (EBI), showcasing superior performance in milk and fertility.
The farm walk event, attended by over 70 farmers, was organized by Foyle Food Group, Teagasc, and the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) to highlight the successful integration of breeding, genetics, and the Commercial Beef Value (CBV) in boosting the farm's productivity. McElhinney uses a combination of ICBF genetic evaluations, milk recording data, and IHFA classification information to optimize sire selections and target specific traits for improvement, aiming for a balanced herd.
The farm's herd demonstrates a balanced profile, with high rankings in the Milk and Fertility sub-indexes. The breeding program's success is further evidenced by bulls from the farm being purchased by artificial insemination (AI) stations. Discussions at the event emphasized the importance of selecting dairy sires with strong beef traits to enhance the beef merit of dairy-beef calves.
Data from the ICBF Tully Progeny Test Centre indicated that high CBV cattle have a growth advantage, achieving approximately 0.2kg/day more than lower CBV counterparts. Over a typical two-year finishing period, this translates to an extra 146kg of liveweight. Additionally, high CBV cattle consume about 1kg less dry matter (DM) feed per day, offering significant cost savings.
The slaughter performance of dairy bulls finished on the farm in 2025 demonstrated financial benefits associated with higher CBV cattle. These animals were slaughtered one month earlier, had 12kg more carcass weight, and fetched an additional €154 per head in sale value.
The event underscored the potential for improved profitability through strategic breeding decisions and the application of genetic tools like CBV. Farmers were encouraged to adopt clear strategies from breeding through to finishing to enhance animal performance and sustainability in production systems.
