Crawford Brothers announces
an industry-first for high grade sexed male
beef semen
10/12/2009
Sexed beef semen which has a 90 per cent chance
of producing a male calf is now being marketed
in the UK for the very first time.
 |
| Raymond Crawford |
The bull which has been sexed is the outstandingly
popular Sauvignon, a French-bred Limousin which
is owned by Crawford Brothers from Maguiresbridge
in County Fermanagh.
 |
| Raymond
Crawford explaining to Journalists at
the Launch |
The sexing is being undertaken by breeding company
Cogent, who have been pioneers in this technology
for over 10 years. However, the company has previously
only produced sexed female semen to fulfil a
huge market from the dairy farming industry.
 |
| Raymond showing
his sister Sauvignon from the viewing gallery
at Cogent |
But having a male calf is known to be economically
beneficial for commercial beef producers, as
males finish faster, produce better carcass grades
and are therefore more profitable than the equivalent
heifer.
 |
Richard Halleron, Farming
Life editor and Innes
Drummond head of the lab at Cogent congratulating
Raymond and Stephen |
Sauvignon’s exceptional list of accomplishments
is topped by his performance at the Paris Show
in 2007.
“We were the first UK exhibitors ever
to participate in the livestock classes at the
Paris Show, but we thought it was worth the effort
of getting there as we felt we were in with a
chance,” said Raymond Crawford, co-owner
of the bull.
 |
| Raymond and Stephen
and their sister Elizabeth with a flask
of male sexed semen |
Sauvignon duly obliged by taking the breed’s
overall male championship, as well as the progeny
and carcass championships.
 |
| Raymond signing a deal
to New Zealand that was secured at 1am |
Since being recognised as the best Limousin
bull in Europe – and with a string of other
awards to his credit including supreme beef championship
at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2007 and Limousin
championship at the Royal Welsh Show in 2006
- demand from around the world for Sauvignon’s
semen has gone through the roof.
 |
| Raymond and Stephen with
Sauvignon |
Also identified by ASDA as a bull whose progeny
will meet the supermarket’s commercial
needs, he is offered to their dedicated Beef
Link suppliers at a substantial discount.
“We have seen a lot of Sauvignon’s
progeny and are now trialling some on our demonstration
farm in Yorkshire,” said Pearce Hughes
from ASDA. “And early indications are that
they will be up with the best of the breed.
“Because he is such a great carcass bull,
his progeny have a good chance of meeting the
E and U grades needed for our Extra Special range,
so we are encouraging our Beef Link suppliers
to use him.”
“We are delighted to be involved with
a bull of this calibre and to have attained the
same levels of purity in the semen sorting process
that we achieve when producing sexed female semen,” added
Stuart Boothman, who oversees the stud at Cogent.
“We have been perfecting the male sorting
process over the past year, and can now guarantee
a 90 per cent chance of a pregnancy resulting
in a male calf.”
 |
| Stephen reading the Contract |
“We have been selling female sexed semen
from this bull which has been extremely popular
with breeders who want to expand their suckler
herds,” continued Mr Crawford. “But
this initiative with male semen will give beef
producers complete control over what they breed,
and for what purpose and market.”
Sauvignon semen is available through Crawford
Brothers, Rathkeeland, Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh,
Northern Ireland BT94 4RT.
Tel: +44 (0)28 8953 1276; email: crawfordbros@btconnect.com
Prices are £20 for conventional and £50
for sexed, either male or female.
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