TYR is a national breeding- and interest organization for Norwegian beef producers owned by the beef farmers. The organization has about 2000 members. TYR is responsible for the national breeding program on beef cattle and herd book registrations, as well as promoting beef cattle and beef production in political agriculture negotiations.
National breeding program
TYR perform national breeding programmes on five breeds:
- Aberdeen Angus
- Charolais
- Hereford
- Limousin
- Simmental
The co-operative system gives the members the power to influence the development of these breeding programmes. Herd book registered bull calves from these breeds are tested at the performance test station and the best are selected for AI. All five breeds have a breeding plan on how to reach the breeding goals. The breed-specific breeding plans are subordinate to the overall breeding plan from TYR.
The Norwegian breeding model
The breeding program focuses on production and calving traits. Breeding values for these traits, direct and maternal, are estimated twice a year. Selection of breeding candidates also focuses on health and functionality through a linear scoring of conformation. Bulls are selected for AI after undergoing a performance test, where unique registrations on daily individual feed intake and body weight are recorded.
TYR also administrate five breeds without national breeding program:
- Highland Cattle
- Tiroler Grauvieh
- Blonde d´Aquitaine
- Dexter
- Belted Galloway.
We assist with imports of AI-semen to renew the genetics within these breeds.
Sustainable breeding
The Norwegian breeding model is built on ethical breeding principles and focus on traits that give healthy animals, easy calvings and good functionality. The breeding program focus on production traits, health traits and economy traits rather than show traits. The program is testing for homozygous polled bulls. Unique registrations of fat depth, back muscle depth and marbling by ultra sound scanning makes it possible to select on beef quality.
Contakt us
TYR Storhamargata 44 N-2317 Hamar, Norway
Phone: +47 952 90 855
E-mail: tyr@tyr.no