Get to grips with cattle genetics at upcoming Dumfriesshire Monitor Farm meeting

Find out more about making the most of advances in beef cattle genetics and how they can help your herd at the Dumfriesshire Monitor Farm summer meeting, now open for booking.

The open meeting, to which all are welcome, is on Tuesday 3 June, starting at 3pm at Barnbackle Farm, Lochfoot. During a tour to see the farm’s cattle at grass, Monitor Farmer Richard McCornick will talk about his stock, including his Charolais herd which is known for producing bulls for local farmers. Besides the pedigree herd, Barnbackle runs 150 spring and autumn calving Sim-Luings, a small number of store cattle and 700 ewes.

During the afternoon, expert speakers will be discussing different areas of ‘Getting to grips with genetics’.

SRUC cattle production specialist Jillian Gordon will be discussing learnings from dairy beef and how these can be implemented in the suckler herd.

EBVs and Breeding Indexes will also be covered, including a discussion about what they are, how to interpret them, SNP keys or genomic breeding values and their role, and balancing traits when selecting breeding stock.

The final piece of the puzzle, bull selection, will be discussed by James Hudson, Charolais Society secretary who will cover how to evaluate bulls, and some of the financials involved.

Maura Wilson, Monitor Farm regional adviser says: “We have had a close focus on sheep so far at the Dumfriesshire Monitor Farm, so this will be a great chance to look in-depth at genetics for the beef enterprise. The speakers are experts in the practical application of their topics, so it will be a good opportunity to find out more about genetic improvement for beef cattle.”

Booking is essential for catering purposes. No dogs or children under 16 permitted, and car parking is limited, so car share if possible. For biosecurity please ensure vehicles, clothing and footwear are clean before attending. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and sturdy/waterproof footwear.

• ‘Getting to grips with genetics’ is on Tuesday 3 June, 3-6.30pm at Barnbackle Farm, Lochfoot, DG2 8NX. Booking: https://gettingtogripswithgenetics.eventbrite.co.uk