Gerrygullinane Pedigree Limousin Online Sale 2023

I'm amazed at how many of the females are only 3 and 4 stars for replacement. And I think one or two only 1 star, I would have thought they would be much higher, when you look at the breeding, how many are ET etc you would think they should be high 5 star animals. I'm sure to look at this man's stock one would be in awe of what years of breading and AI should have done for him. It leaves a lot to question in the star system IMO

There’s enough breeders chasing stars without them doing it. They don’t bother with the show ring circuit much afaik. Just maybe they try to breed good cattle that make money for them.

See lot 14 is a 5 star out of vantasic on the dam side, shows how accurate the star rating is,

I went down for a look today. Some serious animals there. The cows are huge and heavy muscled but with milk. All of the herd was in view in the fields around the yard. Very impressive breeding tbh & credit to him. Out of my budget anyway.

If they’re making money why should they care about any of that. Would they be better off doing what the Newford factories journal farm is doing with a herd of milky little rats with 50 stars selling 300kg carcasses and losing money hand over fist?

I think all pedigree herd books are governed by ICBF, who have the Gene Ireland program

The limousine society is more than aware they've driven the maternal aspects of the breed into the ground by pushing the terminal aspects. People have been saying it for years now and it's the stars that have finally shown what every one saying would happen. ZAG the most popular limousine AI bull the last few years brings a good terminal animal but his daughters have poor milk, calving ability, gestation and docility. It's rare to even find a limousine bull in the AI catalogues that will bring milk and almost selling a bull cut off the bottom part of the star sheet cause the milk is in the toilet. Talking with lads in the society they are desperately trying to do a U turn with bulls like Powerfull Proper and speeding up the process with sexed semen from him.

The star system has its faults but it has shown up the big problem we have in Ireland with valuing terminal over the cow's ability to actually rear the calf. Pouring out adlib meal to supplement the hungry calf is seen as a normal practice. Chatting with the higher up ICBF/SCEP lads they say the point is to un do the damage this kind of thinking has done. They got French breeders and technicians over the last few years and they have been appalled what we've done to their nation's animals. But that opens up another argument about having to push weights here for profitability because the rats aren't working either.

This isn't my personal opinion. just echoing what lads in the limousine society and ICBF are saying.

As regards the calving figures the reliability % is miles off, neighbour bought a lim bull with a 4.5% for calving figures when if come to calving he had 4 side doors and serious use of the jack, his previous lim bull had a 14% calving figure and used the jack 2 or 3 times a year on the same 45 cows, when he went back to breeder of the bull he admitted the bull was born by side door and got a 4.5% calving, what’s wrong with most breeds is honest in the game and societies only want money.

Having seen lim and char cows in France on farm totally different animals that calve and rear their calf.here you have some big breeders leading the pyramid game and when the bull goes out the gate good look, not to long a got a lim breeder was done for what he was giving bulls prior to sale, bull that the tail fell off. The lad that sells the genuine bull at the house will always have customers.

Agree on Bova, good breeding bulls