For spring block calving farmers, every decision counts. Achieving a tight calving block, efficient grazing, and breeding high-performing cows are all essential to running a profitable system. Getting the genetics right plays a key role in achieving these goals, helping you breed replacements from your best cows, maintain a tight calving period, and maximise returns from beef cross calves.
Breeding for a tight calving block
Keeping your calving block tight is the foundation of a successful spring block system. The right genetics help you achieve this.
Sexcel® Female Dairy genetics help to give you the best chance of getting high-fertility cows back in calf quickly, while also allowing you to breed your replacements from your higher performing animals. With conception rates over 90% compared to conventional semen, Sexcel helps to provide reliable results so you can plan with confidence. This is backed by Genus ABS Real World Data® (RWD™), the largest dataset of its kind, encompassing over 7.4 million insemination records worldwide.
Its robust fertility performance means fewer empty cows, directly helping you to keep your calving block tight. When every day counts, having a trusted genetics solution like Sexcel can make a significant difference to your herd’s profitability.
Access to proven grass-based genetics
When breeding for a grazing system, cows need to be the right size, have strong fertility, and produce high-quality milk solids. Through our partnership with Ireland Genetics, British farmers have access to sires specifically bred for block calving and grass-based systems.
Ireland Genetics bulls are selected through the €EBI index, designed to breed medium-sized, efficient cows with:
✔ A consistent, uniform size
✔ The ability to produce 1kg of solids per 1kg of body weight
✔ High fertility to ensure delivery of one calf per year
✔ Longevity, 5+ lactations
This means you can breed cows that not only fit your system but thrive in it, maximising milk from grass while keeping costs low.
With four tailored breeding systems available, you can select sires based on your farm’s goals:
Choosing sires from this programme ensures your herd is suited to your grazing system, helping to improve efficiency and profitability year after year.
Selecting the right beef genetics for a more profitable herd
A profitable spring block system isn’t just about dairy replacements, your beef cross calves also play a key role. Selecting the right beef genetics helps to ensure every calf has value, supporting the financial success of your herd.
Genus ABS’ FertilityAdvantage index helps identify beef sires with proven fertility, using over 720,000 insemination records to rank bulls based on real-world performance.
With sires categorised into Platinum, Gold, and Silver tiers, you can easily choose bulls that help to deliver results. Platinum sires, for example, have an average conception rate of 44%, which equates to £34 more per insemination, helping to reduce empty rates and improve overall efficiency.
“Following the expansion of the FertilityAdvantage dataset in 2023, further work was carried out in early 2024 to increase the dataset by another 43%, adding over 300,000 new insemination records. This continuous improvement of our evaluations ensures we keep providing more accurate fertility insights to farmers.” – Fern Pearston, Data Analyst
To find out more about our Platinum, Gold and Silver FertilityAdvanage sires chat to your local Genus ABS rep who will be able to advise you on sires ranked within this index.
Maximising returns on beef cross calves
Maximising the value of your beef calf crop is an essential aspect of profitability for spring block farmers. Sexcel Male Beef offers a revolutionary solution by delivering male sexed genetics that combine exceptional fertility with easy calving and higher-value offspring.
Male beef cross calves often generate significantly higher profits, with many farmers earning £70-£100 more per calf at the dairy farm level. Over their lifecycle, male calves can deliver up to £150 more in profitability compared to females.
High-performing cows can be bred with Sexcel Female Dairy genetics to produce heifer replacements, while first and second lactation cows can be targeted for high-value male beef calves using Sexcel Male Beef genetics. Lower-performing cows can still contribute to profitability through conventional NuEra beef genetics, ensuring that every animal in the herd is contributing towards your overall profitability.
Male beef cross calves are proven to grow faster, reach finishing weights sooner, and produce more valuable carcasses. This improves the efficiency and profitability of the entire supply chain, creating strong demand for NuEra beef genetics among processors and retailers.
Supporting your breeding decisions
Spring block calving success starts with making informed genetic decisions. By focusing on fertility, efficiency, and profitability, you can build a herd that works for your system, not the other way around.
Whether you’re looking to improve your calving block, select the right grass-based genetics, or boost the value of your beef calves, we’re here to help.
Ready to take the next step? Book a consultation with your local Genus ABS representative today and discover how we can help you optimise your spring block herd for maximum profitability.
01270 616681