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Aubrac
Profile > Pedigree Breeds > Cattle
The Irish Aubrac Cattle Breed Society
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Breed Profile
Description
Population
France 110.000 cows 34.000 recorded
Ireland over 300 Females of Breeding Age.
# Maternal qualities Calving ease : 98 %
# Birth weight of bull calves 38kg
# 210d. weight of bull calves 300kg
# Weight of adult bulls 850-1100kg
# Weight of adult cows 550-750kg
# Average height at withers of adult cows 130cm.
Origins
The breeds originates from the mountains of Central France, originally milked for cheese production and used for beef as pure bred or crossed with Charolais bulls. The Aubrac has spread to other countries i.e. New Zealand, Australia, America, U.K., Germany, Russia Latvia, etc...
n France
Cows are tied up in sheds for approximately six months of the year. The calves are separated and allowed to suckle twice a day. The cows are fed on hay only. End of May the animals are brought up to the mountain pastures where the temperatures can go up to 35 C and plunge at night below freezing. At the end of their second summer, young bulls not needed for breeding are sold to feedlots mostly in Italy where they are finished in 100 days and command a premium price. Heifers not needed for in herd replacement are sold and bred pure or used for crossing with Charolais. The average herd size is 60 females, there are no elite herds, instead the whole standard of the breed is raised by culling or cross breeding the lesser cows with terminal sires. Last year (2001) 76.000 young stock (pure and cross breds) were exported to Italy (2/3) and Spain (1/3). The Aubrac breed has the highest return of young farmers to farming of any french beef breed.
Main Qualities
Low maintenance cost :
Feed well on low cost low grade roughage (grass, hay). In their part of France fresh grass is only available for a maximum four mounths. In winter, they are fed on hay only.
Ease of calving :
Excellent pelvic conformation is one of the main criteria in selection of bulls and cows. Cows calve very easily both purebred and crossed with heavy muscled Charolais, Culard, etc...The Aubrac bulls are used successfully on dairy and suckler herds for ease of calving. The calf is not very big, but hardy, yet he has enough beefing ability to make a good quality weanling or store.
Calving regularity :
Very good fertility rate, and up to 98% of cows going back in calf.
Milking ability :
Good quality milk : average 2250kg per lactation at 4.2% butter fat. Tidy udder.
Temperament :
One of their main attributes is docility.
Meat :
Continental type with marbling. Cross-bred heifers have gone to the butcher’s trade and are in great demand. Cross-bred steers have graded U and R in the meat factories.The average carcase weight for 24-26 month old animal is between 375-450kgs, with some individuals grading U3 510kg carcasse and a 23 months old charolais cross aubrac E3 564kg carcasse. Bull beef is in great demand with butchers as the Aubrac’s meat to bone ratio is very high increasing the profitability of the carcasse. The quality of the meat is suitable for European markets.
In Ireland
The first animals were brought into Skibbereen from the U.K. as embryos (1 heifer - 2 bulls) in 1992. Straws were taken from the best bull and used on dairy and suckler cows, mostly in the West Cork region. The next shipment of in-calf and maiden heifers arrived from France in County Kildare in the autumn of 96.
With a few very interested breeders getting together, the Irish Aubrac Cattle Breed Society Limited was formed in January 1998. In 2002, it now counts over 30 members, and over 500 registered animals. The majority of the members are part-time farmers who have chosen this breed for its ease of management. All registered calves born in Ireland since 2000 are inspected and linear scored.
The selection programme aims at maintaining rearing, reproduction and hardiness qualities and at identifying those heifers which will provide the ideal mould. Muscular development is confered by the bull. Females must retain their milking and calving ability and their fertility with minimal interference and maintenance cost. The excellent food convertion and conformation must allow cost efficient finishing of the animals. The selection has been based on efficiency rather than show potential only. In Ireland the emphasis has been put on importing quality animals, to start a very good genetic pool, and retain the qualities that made us choose this breed in the first place.
We beleive Aubracs have a place in Ireland, as an easy kept mother breed with continental conformation and good temperament. Bulls are used widely to produce excellent replacement heifers for the Irish suckler herd. Weanling bulls are suitable for the Italian market. The Aubrac can be out performed on any given trait by an other breed but as a complete package is hard to beat.
Performance Testing
Bull calves (20) have been successfully tested in Tully over the last few years.
Bull Breeder Date Average Feed Eye Feed Carcase Overall
of birth daily weight conv. muscle effic. merit beef
gain area merit
Project Oscar J. O’Brien 19/01/98 1.60 6.02 104 111 107 111
Maulbrac Oisin T. Walsh 05/02/98 1.66 5.79 112 115 133 124
Calverstown Papillon M. McCall 22/01/99 1.50 6.56 113 107 116 115
Thornhill Oscar S. O’Driscoll 25/12/98 1.34 6.61 114 106 118 111
Butlersgift Paudie J. Deane 27/07/99 1.77 5.45 112 119 106 117
Westfield Rocky S. Phelan 11/04/00 1.55 6.26 114 109 123 121
Calverstown Ramses K. McCall 08/04/00 1.51 6.17 107 111 109 114
Westfield Satchmo S. Phelan 13/03/01 1.48 6.11 112 112 129 121
Calverstown Sultan K McCall 12/02/01 1.67 5.54 109 122 123 115
Contact Details
Post:
Att: Mireille McCall
Irish Aubrac Cattle Breed Society Ltd.
Calverstown
Kilcullen
Co Kildare
Email: aubrac@eircom.net
Web: www.aubrac.ie
Mobile: 086 345 1373
Tel: 045 485963
Fax: 045 485963