Mella Briscoe operates a 360‑cow spring‑calving herd across two milking platforms with her husband, Kevin Muldoon, and their two sons, Jack and Naise, in south-east Galway between the villages of Eyrecourt and Killimor.

The herd is predominantly Holstein Friesian, with a small proportion of Jersey genetics also present.

Mella is also the active vice‑president of Dairy Women Ireland, a voluntary organisation dedicated to bringing women in dairy together to learn, connect, and support one another.

Continued genetic progress and strong herd performance

Based on the November 2025 evaluation, the herd’s Economic Breeding Index (EBI) now stands at €173, supported by a Milk Sub‑Index of €28 and a Fertility Sub‑Index of €80.

With efficiency in mind, Mella focuses on breeding a more compact cow to help reduce feed inputs, aiming to keep meal levels below 800kg per cow while still producing high kilograms of milk solids from relatively low milk volumes.

This breeding direction is reflected in the herd’s Maintenance Sub‑Index of €30, which aligns with the goal of a mature cow weighing around 550kg.

In 2025, the herd supplied 543kg of milk solids to the co‑op at 4.48% fat and 3.76% protein.

From the very beginning, Mella has placed strong trust in both the EBI and ICBF data to guide her breeding choices, contributing to a clear five‑year upward trend.

The herd’s EBI has increased steadily from €129 in 2021 to €173 in 2025, driven by improvements in both the Milk and Fertility sub‑indexes.

Mella highlights fertility as one of the herd’s greatest strengths.

She noted: “We have very good fertility with 89-90% six-week calving rates for the last three or four seasons.”

Protein, on the other hand, was once identified as a weakness, but has been a major focus area in recent years.

As Mella explained: “It is very hard to get a team of bulls to tick all the boxes, so you do have to compromise somewhere, but it is paying off, we were in the top 6% for protein % in the co-op in 2025.”

Overall production has also made significant progress, with milk solids per cow rising from 463kg to 543kg over the past five years – well above co‑op averages.

Breeding strategy focused on high‑genetic‑merit replacements

Mella and her family place a strong focus on breeding, making sure that the right animals are selected to produce the next generation of high‑genetic‑merit dairy replacements.

As Mella said: “Breeding management is my favourite job of the whole year.”

To guide these decisions, the ICBF Dairy Cow Report is her primary reference point when identifying which females should be bred to dairy artificial insemination (AI).

Around 30% of the herd is chosen for dairy insemination, which typically begins on May 1.

Each selected cow gets just one opportunity to go in‑calf to a dairy straw – a strategy Mella believes supports natural selection for fertility.

“We hope we are naturally selecting for the more fertile cow.”

Sexed semen is used extensively on the farm, delivering excellent first‑service conception rates of 60-63% in recent years.

Although initially hesitant, the family decided to trial sexed semen and have been fully committed to it ever since.

Using sexed semen on heifers gives the family greater flexibility in selecting cows for breeding, and it also increases the number of beef calves available for sale – an important source of additional cashflow for the farm.

Selecting the right sires to drive herd progress

When choosing sires for the herd, Mella and Naise begin by drawing up a shortlist from AI company catalogues, carefully reviewing each bull’s genetic profile and dam production records.

From there, they work together to agree on the sires they feel will best meet the needs of the herd.

“We are looking for a team of bulls that will give us a better Milk sub index on our heifers for next years calf crop,” Mella said.

“When we run Sire Advice, if we don’t get a better performance than the heifers we have on the ground this year, we will go back and start again by making changes to the bull team.”

On the beef side, the Dairy Beef Index (DBI) is central to selecting suitable sires – bulls that offer short gestation, easy calving, and strong calf quality to meet the expectations of their loyal customer base.

Dairy beef sires from the Gene Ireland panel are also incorporated into the farm’s breeding programme.

Confident and consistent use of Sire Advice on the farm

For the past six years, Mella and her family have used Sire Advice as a central part of their breeding strategy, helping them make more informed decisions on the farm.

She finds the inbreeding checker and the three mating options for each cow particularly valuable.

As she puts it: “Let the computer do it!”

Her favourite feature is the Female Selector, which allows her to easily choose which cows will receive dairy semen, which ones are earmarked for culling, and which will be bred to beef sires.

Over the years, many improvements have been made to the application, and Mella has become an enthusiastic and committed user.

She said: “I love using it; I might run 10 or 11 Sire Advices in the year until I get exactly what I want.”

Although she does not consider herself the most computer‑savvy, Mella was determined to become comfortable with the tool and continued practising until it felt natural.

As she said: “Nobody will die if you make a mistake.”

That serves a reminder that the user stays fully in control of when a completed run is sent to the technician’s handheld.

While Mella’s son Naise has completed an AI course, the family also works closely with their local technician, who receives the matings for each cow directly to his handheld, with around 95% of cows receiving their first‑choice bull.

Using Sire Advice in the way that works best

Given how important Sire Advice is to her breeding decisions, Mella finds it easiest to use the programme at the desk on her laptop.

While that is simply her own preference, she feels that having a version available on the HerdPlus app is valuable and could encourage more farmers to try Sire Advice for the first time.

The ICBF HerdPlus app is free and available in your app store

Practical advice for preparing for the 2026 breeding season

Mella’s key advice for the upcoming breeding season is to be organised and have a clear plan in place.

She encourages all farmers to run Sire Advice ahead of the busy breeding period, noting that straws require a significant investment of both time and money – so it makes sense to let the system help guide decisions.

She said: “Don’t be afraid, have a go, play with it, you’re not committing yourself to anything.

“Make the most of your investment to date, match the right cow to the right bull.”

For help with running Sire Advice this breeding season, contact the HerdPlus team on 023-8820452 or email query@icbf.com

breeding heifer

Listen: Specialist breeding heifer business in Roscommon