Berf-on-Dairy Progeny sire list

The second mating is soon to get under way in phase three of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s decade-long Dairy-Beef Progeny Test.

Jim Inglis, B+LNZ’s Genetics’ Strategy and Operations Manager, says the first crop of the phase three calves are on the ground and the sires selected for the 2025 mating at the five host farms. These farms are Huroo Downs near Ōamaru, owned and operated by Hayden and Robyn Williams, two Massey University farms and two Dairy Trust Taranaki farms.

Jim says this year’s selection panel has selected 15 sires representing six breeds, although not all sires will be used on every host farm.

“The objectives of the Dairy-Beef Progeny Test (DBPT) are to identify the best beef genetics and to highlight the value superior beef genetics generate at every stage of the supply chain. It also aims to demonstrate that genetically superior beef bulls can be safely used across dairy cows to add value to both dairy and beef finishing operations.”

The DBPT began at Limestone Downs in 2015 and moved to Pāmu’s Renown Farm in 2017. The progeny were reared and finished under commercial conditions at Pāmu’s Wairakei Estate.

Last year, as part of phase three of the test, the DBPT was shifted to the five new host farms across three regions.

The move to run the DBPT across more sites has been driven by B+LNZ’s desire to include a better cross section of farms across more regions and to better showcase the outcomes of the DBPT.

One of the Dairy Trust Taranaki herds in the test is pure Jersey and this is the first time a Jersey herd has been included in the DBPT.

Mags Bremer, DTT’s Head of Science, says their 167 Jersey cows are run on a 47ha milking platform near Stratford and they are small cows, weighing around 400kg mature cow weight.

For this reason, they have been particularly careful selecting suitable sires.

Hayden and Robyn Williams, who milk 700 Friesian-Kiwicross cows at Five Forks near Ōamaru, saw the DBPT as an opportunity to make the most of what they already produce, but it also represented a step change in their business. Where they have previously sold calves at 100kg, they will now carry their non-replacement calves through to finishing.

The DBPT is open to bulls of all breeds, and the breeds selected this year are Angus, Changus, Charolais, Hereford, Shorthorn and Speckle Park. A sire list for the 2025 mating will be published on B+LNZ’s website in October, once semen collection has been completed.