Beef Breeding Programme
Breeding With Confidence
Cattle breeding is high stakes. Every bull you choose shapes your herd for years to come — and the wrong decision can be costly in terms of your time, money, and reputation.
At Solnua, we understand that pressure. We’ve walked your yards, stood ringside at the marts, and listened to what buyers pay for. That’s why our Beef Breeding Programme is built to take the risk out of sire choice and give you confidence that every calf will perform on your farm
Built Around Farmers, Backed by Science
Behind the scenes, our team of geneticists, sire analysts, stockmen and stockwomen work with Teagasc and ICBF to combine the best of research with the realities of Irish beef farming.
We scout the best genetics from leading herds in Ireland and abroad.
We evaluate how progeny perform on-farm, at the performance test centre in Tully, in the mart, and the factory.
We feed that knowledge back into sire selection — so you’re not taking chances, you’re building your herd on proven results.
Only the very best make it to your farm
We start big — 16,000 pedigree beef bull calves genotyped each year — we narrow down step by step until only the very best remain.
- First cut: Geneticists identify the top @600.
- Second cut: Sire Analysts reduce to ~200, based on index, pedigree and performance.
- Third cut: only ~100 pass strict visual checks for conformation, temperament and soundness.
- Final gate: ~20 sires chosen, fertility-tested and health-cleared before semen release.
This way, by the time a bull reaches your tank, he’s already beaten the odds.
Proof where it matters most, on your farm
We know paper proofs aren’t enough. That’s why our sires are tested on a large number of real farms, in real herds.
The result
Proven Weanling & Finishing Terminal Sires
- Our proven Terminal sires are proven for all commercially important traits: Calving ease, Gestation, Docility, and Carcass traits.
- All our bulls go through the ICBF Gene Ireland programme. Their progeny are performance tested at the ICBF performance test centre in Tully. Data is collected on Carcass Weight, Conformation, Age at Finish, Feed & Water Intake, Meat eating quality and Methane production.
- Only the best for profitable beef production make it through.
Proven Replacement Sires
Good quality calves start with the right cows. That’s why our replacement sires are tested for:
- Docility — based on 100s and often 1,000s of farmer records.
- Milk — tracked through calf weaning weights.
- Fertility — Age at puberty, age at first calving and calving interval.
- Calving ability — based on 100s and often 1,000s of farmer records.
- Terminal traits — Carcass traits, age at finish and feed intake.
The result – Replacement Sires proven for both terminal and maternal traits, so your cows are docile, easy-care, hardworking and profitable.
Independent Proof You Can Rely On
From there, the testing gets even tougher:
- On farm records: calving ease, gestation, docility, weaning weights, functional traits and milk ability.
- ICBF Tully Centre: progeny of Gene-Ireland bulls measured for docility, feed and water intake, carcass weight, carcass conformation, age at finish, methane production and meat eating quality.
- At the mart: weights and € per kilo tracked.
- At the factory: carcass weight, carcass conformation, carcass fat data collected on almost every animal slaughtered in Ireland.
- Veterinary records & DAFM: Incidence of TB is recorded on progeny of all of our sires
This integration means that every Solnua beef sire is independently proven for calving ease, docility, carcass value, feed efficiency and maternal traits — by ICBF
Building the Cow for the Future
Strong calves start with the right cows. That’s why our replacement sires are tested for:
- Milk — tracked through calf weaning weights.
- Fertility — puberty age, first calving, calving interval.
- Calving ability — based on thousands of farmer records.
The result? Replacement sires proven for both terminal and maternal traits, so your cows cycle, calve, and last.
What This Means for You
- Predictable outcomes on your farm with every breeding decision
- More Kgs to sell -More live calves, higher weight gains
- Superior high value weanlings with weight & shape
- Docile, efficient, functional, profitable cattle in every beef production system
- Easy-care, functional, docile cows that breed
Breeding Better Futures
With Solnua, every sire in our Beef Breeding Programme is tested, proven, and backed by science, stockmanship and farmer feedback & records. That means docile, hard working , long-lasting cows that breed, calves that perform, and every breeding decision is made with confidence.