At Scarah Bank Farm in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, Andrew and Alison Walmsley have transformed their dairy herd’s profitability with a forward thinking breeding strategy. Their secret? Incorporating Sexcel® Male Beef Genetics from Genus ABS into their breeding program—a game-changing decision that has helped to increase their returns and efficiency.
With 180 cows milked using three Lely robots, the Walmsleys are committed to innovation. For over a decade, the Walmsleys have relied on the Genus ABS Reproductive Management System (RMS) to optimise their herd’s fertility and profitability and are achieving an exceptional pregnancy rate of over 35%. With Sexcel Female Dairy they are achieving an average conception rate of over 60%
Through implementing this system on their farm, thenow have a dedicated team that takes care of the entire reproduction process, from heat detection to data analysis, ensuring efficiency in every step of the reproduction process while also reducing additional labour on the farm, which has been a significant advantage to the family.
Looking to continually improve their efficiency, they’ve now taken it one step further by adding Sexcel® Male Beef Genetics to their breeding strategy.
Why Sexcel Male Beef Genetics?
Sexcel Male Beef Genetics offer a revolutionary solution for dairy farmers looking to improve the profitability of their beef cross calves. With the most reliable calving data in the world, Genus ABS’ strict protocols for selecting sires for Male Sexed Beef semen ensure the delivery of easily born, short gestation beef cross calves. These calves achieve higher daily live weight gains, reach finishing sooner and produce more valuable carcasses, increasing demand from beef finishers, processors, and retailers.
The results speak for themselves with the Walmsleys achieving an exceptional 56.8% conception rate with male beef sexed semen. Genus ABS high fertility sires allow them to achieve comparable conception rates to conventional beef semen on the same group of females.
For Andrew, private calf buyers have shown a clear preference for the male beef calves, with bull calves consistently generating more profit than heifers. On average, male dairy beef cross calves earn between £70-£100 more than female calves from the same cow, helping to directly increase the herd’s overall profitability. This value, combined with Genus ABS’ reliable calving data, means farmers can expect easily born, fast-growing calves that contribute more value throughout their lifecycle.
Andrew and Alison report that calving ease with male sexed beef genetics has been excellent, a crucial aspect when deciding to use male sexed beef genetics.
Incorporating Sexcel® Male Beef into your breeding strategy
At Scarah Bank Farm, Andrew and Alison have seamlessly integrated Sexcel Male Beef into their breeding strategy. Working closely with their Genus ABS genetics specialist, they use a targeted approach to optimise their herd’s genetic progress and maximise the value of their beef calf crop.
Since 2020, Scarah Bank Farm has incorporated genomic testing to fine-tune their breeding strategy using Genus ABS’s GENEadvance. This allows them to breed replacements from their higher-performing females, while strategically using male sexed Angus semen on their more fertile 1st and 2nd lactation cows which are not genetically desirable to breed replacements from. This ensures only the best genetics are carried forward, contributing to the continual improvement in their herd’s performance.
As part of their ongoing commitment to improve efficiency, Andrew and Alison have also introduced polled genetics into their breeding strategy. This addition enhances animal welfare by reducing the need for dehorning whilst also reducing labour requirements.
Their genetic services specialist, plays a crucial role in forming their breeding strategy, ensuring a tailored approach that leverages four years of genomic data to continually improve their herd.
Previously the family had never been in a position to sell maiden heifers. However, through their strategic sexed and beef strategy, they now have more maiden heifers and can use genomics results to filter out those they want to sell—generally lower genetic merit animals, which typically go to flying herds. This ability to make data- driven breeding decisions has been crucial in boosting the farm’s profitability.
Fertility: The key to success
The Walmsleys emphasise that fertility is the foundation of their success. By prioritising housing, stocking, foot care, and meticulous record-keeping, they have created a stress-free environment for their cows, helping to improve overall performance and enhance their herd’s fertility. Through focusing on precision breeding and a stress-free environment, the Walmsleys are ensuring not just profitability, but a sustainable future for their farm.
Investing in Sexcel Male Beef offers clear financial benefits. For Andrew and Alison, the use of male-sexed genetics has helped maximise their profits. Confident in their current system, the Walmsleys believe their approach is working well and are not looking to make changes—a testament to the success of their breeding strategy.
To learn more about how your herd can benefit from Sexcel Male Beef Genetics chat to your local Genus ABS breeding advisor today or click HERE for more information.
01270 616681