Significant improvements in growth and muscle depth – without adversely affecting milking ability – are being been achieved by the British Simmental, according to the latest figures from Signet.

Signet beef specialist Alison Nicol says the British Simmental is winning the ultimate challenge of any beef breed and is maintaining its strong maternal traits while continuing to make sustained progress on its beefing qualities.
“ Growth and milk traits are negatively correlated so even though British Simmental breeders have put much emphasis in recent years in selecting for improved beefing characteristics, the improvements have been achieved with no loss of maternal values.

“ The British Simmental is now a heavier and more well-muscled breed than it was 20 years ago but it remains genetically strong on milking ability.

“ Breeders have been very careful in their breeding plans and have protected milking ability. No milk has been lost along the road of beef trait improvement – and that’s very important to those suckled calf producers who are looking to the British Simmental to produce herd replacements,“ says Alison Nicol.

She adds that the more emphasis beef cattle breeders place on the selection of pedigree stock for growth and muscling the more likely they are to put milking ability at risk – but the British Simmental has not only held on to its well-proven milk traits but has even shown some improvement.

BLUP figures produced by Signet show that the British Simmental is now 30kg heavier at 400-days compared with 20 years ago and it’s giving more milk.

Alison Nicol says there are many examples of BLUP recorded British Simmental bulls showing very good growth and muscle scores while still maintaining a high ranking on milk and calving ease.

“ Many more British Simmental bulls are now available showing high scores for growth and muscle while continuing to provide suckled calf producers with the opportunity to capitalise on the breed’s sustained milking and maternal traits that are essential when breeding home-bred herd replacements.

“ And as we move into the bull buying season it’s important to remember that that while shape and weight are tangible traits that can be assessed prior to purchase the only thing a buyer can turn to for guidance on the bull’s maternal genetic make-up are the BLUP performance figures – milking ability and calving ease are not traits that can be evaluated visually” says Alison Nicol.

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