 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
SEXED LIMOUSIN SEMEN – A WORLD FIRST!
Top Northern Ireland Limousin breeders, Raymond & Stephen Crawford have always tried to keep their Rathkeeland & Newlittlemount herds a step ahead of the pack, and with the introduction of Sexed Semen from their two top Limousin bulls they have certainly done this. The bulls, Sauvignon and Vigot, have been housed and collected at Cogent’s five star Beachin stud facility since the autumn of 2006, with the first Sexed Semen now available. This makes them the first Limousin bulls in the world to be available Sexed.
Sauvignon is an exceptional mature bull, being one of the stars of the show ring in 2006, completing a hat-trick of prizes with Res. Male Champion at the Royal Show, Supreme and Reserve Interbreed Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show and finally Male Champion at the Royal Welsh Show. His Sexed Semen partner Vigot is an exciting young bull, who also had a prize-winning run in 2006. 1st & Jnr Male & Res Overall male. Jnr Int Champion Great Yorkshire; Res male Champion RUAS.
What is Sexed Semen?
Cogent’s world leading technology takes advantage of a small difference in DNA content between male and female sperm, to ensure that the semen, once sexed, has on average over 90% female sperm in every straw. Cogent were the first company in the world to commercially offer Sexed Semen in 2000, since then they have continued to be the pioneers world-wide. The launch of Sexed Semen from top Limousin sires is the next piece in the jigsaw.
The advantages of Sexed Semen
Sexed Semen has different attractions to everyone, some of the most popular include:
- Breed your replacements from your best cows and heifers, to speed up genetic progress
- Biosecurity – breeding your own replacements cuts down disease risks
- Easier Calvings - females calves are born easier than males
- Breed more heifers, and meet the ever growing demand for top quality stock, both domestic and export.
Export
Raymond Crawford has always looked at the bigger picture, and with this is mind spent a lot of 2006 developing potential export markets for his stock, and in particular the semen from Sauvignon and Vigot.
Working closely with the international team at Cogent, outlets have already been developed into Germany and Poland, with others on the way. Cogent’s agents in Poland, Top Farms, have now grown a strong link with the Limousin breed in the UK, already having taken delivery of 3 shipments of around 90 heifers in total, with more on the way. Following on from the heifer importations, Sexed Semen from Vigot is now on its way to Poland to start breeding replacements for the future.
“2006 has been a fantastic year for the Limousin breed in the UK,” comments Limousin Society Chief Executive Ian Kerr “with ever growing demand for stock coming from all across Europe. Sexed Semen will help meet this demand, as well as maintain the profile of the UK Limousins at the very top of the tree.”
Click Photo for more Information:
Custom Collection includes:
BRAX UTOPIA
Supreme Male & Overall Champion
Royal Show 2006
Owned by Murray Lyle, Loganbar Charolais,
Mid Cambushinnie, Dunblane.
SAUVIGNON
Male Champion Simagena 2007, Great Yorkshire, Royal Welsh,
Royal Ulster & Res Champion Royal 2006
Owned by Crawford Brothers, Northern Ireland
AYNHO ROSSITER ERIC
Sold for 18,000gns Perth October 2005
Owned by A Fraser, Forfar & J&M Tilson, Berwickshire.
FIELDSON ALFY
1st Intermediate Bull, Intermediate Champion & Supreme Champion,
Carlisle October 2006
Sold for 37,000gns
Owned by D & M Kelly, Nether Hall Farms Limited, Cumbria