Benchmark Programme

BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM
NZ HEREFORDS
BENCHMARK AWARDS 2023

With more emphasis being focused on the direct correlation between fertility and environmental sustainability, as well as financial productivity, it is likely that the Boehringer Ingelheim Benchmark sires and dams will become even more sought after by breeders and commercial buyers of registered Herefords. The awards highlight the very top performing females in the NZ Herefords gene pool, by recognizing those cows that get in calf every year and continue to produce quality calves year after year.

Last year, 2022 Benchmark Awards were updated as a result of updating the selection indexes the previous year, which is when the technical committee introduced all Benchmark dams must have their first calf before two years and three months of age. This reflects yearling heifer mating becoming the usual practice for the majority of commercial farms when Hereford genetics are used. This now means the four tiers of Benchmark dams can be described as the following;

Benchmark Dam: meets the Benchmark criteria after three or four calves.

Silver Benchmark Dam: meets the Benchmark criteria after five or six calves.

Gold Benchmark Dam: meets the Benchmark criteria after seven or more calves.

Platinum Benchmark Dam: Dam of three or more Benchmark Dams.

Other improvements to the Benchmark awards include, all cow’s calves require a birth weight to be recorded and the use of the new Hereford Prime and Beef Heifer indexes.

The criteria for 2023 Benchmark Dams:

Benchmark Dams

1. First calf must be born before two years and three months of age.
2. Average calving interval of 391 for first three calves and 382 for first four calves.
3. Maternal value is in the top 25% of the Trans-Tasman Hereford analysis.
4. Indexes in the top 30% of the Trans-Tasman Hereford analysis for both Hereford Prime and Beef Heifer indexes.
5. Calves must be reared by own dam and have a birth weight and 200-day weight recorded.
6. Dam must have a registered calf recorded no more than two years prior to current group run cut-off.

Download Benchmark Dams - standard, 2023 Spreadsheet

Silver Benchmark Dams

1. All criteria as above for Benchmark dam.
2. Average calving interval of 378 for first five calves, and 375 for first six calves.

Download Benmark Dams - Silver,  2023 Spreadsheet

Gold Benchmark Dams

1. All criteria as above for Benchmark dam.
2. Average calving interval of 373 on first seven or more calves.

Download Benchmark Dams - Gold, 2023 Spreadsheet

The Benchmark awards also recognise:

Benchmark Sires

Bulls that have sired three or more Benchmark dams.

Download Benchmark Sires, 2023 Spreadsheet

Benchmark Dam Breeders

Those breeders who have bred five or more Benchmark dams.

Download Benchmark Breeders, 2023 Spreadsheet

All the dams that have qualified under the new criteria are listed on the following pages.  To find a full list of benchmark animals, refer to the ‘technical’ tab or click ‘online search’, on the NZ Herefords website: www.herefords.co.nz