First export of Limousin and Belgian Blue Embryos to Southern Ireland

09/12/2005

Crawford Brothers’ Rathkeeland and Newlittlemount herds have begun exporting the first consignment of Limousin and Belgian blue embryos into the Republic of Ireland from their base in Maguiresbridge, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

Tom Kirpatrick (Genus) with Stephen Crawford and Caroline Fullerton (Genus) with two embryo calves.

The Crawfords took the order for 150 Limousin and 50 Belgian Blue embryo’s, from 3 breeders in the south, in the early summer of 2005, with first contact having been made via their website.

This is thought to be the biggest order of embryos from any one herd in the UK and Ireland and is being facilitated by Genus Breeding's Embryo Transfer Service.

The Belgian Blue embryos are from the only cow in the Rathkeeland herd, the much admired Wilodge Ofleur. Wilodge Ulex, a son of Wilodge Ofleur, was Champion Belgian Blue at many shows in 2005, including the Royal Welsh.

The dams of the Limousin embryos include Nicose, dam of the first prize winning young bull at the Royal Highland Show and Oie, the dam of Newlittlemount Ulsterman, first prize winner at the Royal Highland and Welsh Shows. Dams also boast world famous Jersey bloodlines, present in only 12 females in the UK, 5 of which are part of the Crawford Brothers herd. Jersey sired the world record priced bull Grahams Samson which sold for 55,000 gns at Carlisle in February 2003.

One of the sires of the Limousin embryos is the Rathkeeland stock bull Omis B, winning over purchasers of the embryos with some impressive progeny at the calf show in September.

The embryo order is a great seal of approval for the herd on the back of this year’s successes at the Royal Ulster, Royal Highland and Royal Welsh shows. The herd won the award for ‘Best large herd’ at the Northern Ireland Limousin Club 2005 Herd Competition in September, along with ‘Best stock bull’ and ‘Best junior bull’.

The Crawford’s have also received an order for embryos to export to Canada that was sealed on a trip last year. This will take place in 2006 when they are due to flush the show winning cow Millbrook Senhorita.

Stephen Crawford commented: “We wanted to calf her naturally first, and we are also at the present time in discussions with breeders in America and Sweden.

“We are delighted with the interest in our females, and our website has been a great promotional tool, attracting almost 100 visitors per day from all over the world - a real shop window for the herd."

Raymond Crawford added: “This is a major boost for Northern Ireland’s pedigree breeders. The fact that breeders from Southern Ireland are actively seeking to acquire genetics from Northern Ireland is a sure sign that we need the live export ban lifted as soon as possible. The lifting of the ban would be worth millions to the Northern Ireland farmer, both pedigree and commercial, resulting in an expanded marketplace in which to trade on level terms with other countries. I hope the agriculture Minster Lord Rooker stands by his backing of the lifting of the ban, but after the way in which Tony Blair has acted in Europe recently over the agricultural policy, I am sceptical”.