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The Belgain Blue Society of Ireland

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INTRODUCTION


Like most cattle Breeds the Belgian Blue was originally a dual - purpose animal producing both milk and meat. However in the early stages it was recognised that its decades has developed the "Modern Meat Machine" - The Irish Belgian Blue. Perhaps , in some time some of the original breeders will be credited as 20th Century Bakewells!!

QUALITY

The Irish Belgian Blue has quality meat EVERYWHERE . This is evident at all stages gauged from the fact that two and a half year old Belgian Blue cows in Belgium produce excellent meat and receive the same price as heifers. The boning out percentage that is the meat to bone ratio, is the highest of any breed.


The fat score in Belgian Blues is very low. To the health conscious, and that means everyone, the low cholesterol content of Belgian Blue meat is a revelation. This startling fact is illustrated in a chart appearing down below, which shows that cholesterol levels in Belgian Blues are lower than they are in chicken..

BREEDING

Belgian Blues enjoy a high fertility - usually producing the desired one calf within the calendar year. The gestation length of 282 days is hardly ever exceeded. This is important especially in Cross - Breeding, as most serious causes of difficulty calving's in both beef and dairy herds is due to oversize of the calf.

This rarely happens with Begian Blue Sires , and is regarded by many Irish Farmers as essential in their breeding programmes - Belgian Blue calves arrive on time!! They make very good caring mothers, and unlike some other beef breeds have no difficulty in producing sufficient milk to rear their calves. All owners of Belgian Blues cattle remark on their docility - the quietest , most easily managed of any cattle.

The excellent meat producing quality of the Belgian Blue is carried over in crossing even in the most extreme of Dairy cows! Crossing enhances the growth in most cattle, hybrid vigour which results in enhanced financial return for the farmer.

FIRST IMPORTED

Belgian Blues were first imported into Ireland in 1979. Under the then prevailing conditions, Quarantine was then mandatory. This often resulted in the imported animals being imprisoned for 6 - 8 months both in belgium and in Spike Island. This in turn restricted the variety of semen available. to Irish Breeders. They could only use semen produced in Ireland and some from the U.K. However , judicious breeding and intelligent selection edged the Irish Belgian Ahead. With the lifting of Quarantine restrictions it was easier to import animals and semen.

This resulted in an increased number of Breeders and existing Breeders where necessary to upgrade their production stock. The greatest boost was in the availability of such a wide selection of semen from the A I stations of Halibia and Linalux. We were helped also by the wonderful support and advice available from these two A I organisations, and from Belgimex.

INSPECTIONS


The Council of the Belgian Blue Society of Ireland has always insisted that every animal must first be inspected prior to full entry into the Irish Herd Book. This is to ensure that the standards are maintained and any possible defects are immediately eliminated.

Linear Scoring has been in use for the past four years. All enthusiastic breeders had been breeding stock - and their progeny - saored by an expert from Belgium. This system of Linear Scoring in the Belgium Blue Breed is acknowledged to be the best, and most "meat product" centred system in use in the world. This is to be expected as its formation and use in the world. This is to be expected as its formation and use was devised by Professor R.Hansett of Liege university.

Linear Scoring is of potentially great benefit to the Irish Breeder as it now enables Her/Him to compare, contrast, match, join up, separate, improve etc., etc. any of the "group of traits" that are measured on his cow or bull - whether this be AI or natural service.

Members of the Belgian Blue Society have been consistent in availing of the Department of Agriculture "on farm weigh" scheme. This has proven of great value in comparing the growth and height gain of the progeny of various Dams and Sires at different times of the year and under different systems of feeding and management. Only some of those have taken the option of sending their bull calves to Tully. However this has proved a mixed blessing for some of those who did.

BENEFITS

The extraordinary success of Belgian Blue Sires in crossing in Ireland is Primarily due to their ability to produce more quality Meat than any other breed in both dairy and Suckling Herds. However , in this context it should be noted that in the past few years the "flat price regime" in meat factories has not helped the producer of quality products in the Beef Business. With the proposed changes in payment calculations to reward the producers of Quality Cattle, this must benefit the producer of Belgian Blue Cattle. Belgian Blue semen was the only Beef Breed to increase it's share of the A I market in both 1997 and 1998.

The Belgian Blue are without doubt, the quietest in Ireland to-day a factor that is of increasing importance as our community becomes more safety conscious. In the commercial world where results count, where solid profit counts Belgian Blue Crosses come number one - in the mart and in the abattoir, in the cross bred show ring and most importantly in the farmers pocket.

GoTo: http://www.ibbcs.com/