March 8, 2013 Poll British Charolais semen to Scandinavia

Shropshire-based pedigree poll Charolais breeders, David and Sadie Littlehales have completed a private export deal for a shipment of semen from Bromham Bullion to the Norwegian Charolais Organisation for distribution to Finland and Norway.

“Scandinavian breeders and commercial beef producers favour bulls that have a shorter gestation length and lower birth weight calves, as well as the unbeatable weight for age and they have found their answer in our poll British Charolais,” commented Mr Littlehales.

Bullion was privately purchased as a sire for their 40 cow poll Pentervin herd, based at 1,000ft at Minsterley, along with his dam, Roulette of Bromham. He continued “Bullion was selected for his shape and pedigree to produce growthy calves with that all important under 40kg birth weight and short gestation length.”

The shipment was negotiated on the back of a previous successful export of semen from Mr Littlehale’s homebred Pentervin Universe to the Norwegian Charolais Organisation. “Norwegian cattle breeders have since reaped the rewards with a Pentervin Universe son setting a breed record price of 95,000 Norwegian Krone (approximately £10,000) after achieving a national record DLG of 2.116kg per day while on performance test. The same breeders have come back to our herd for another piece of the action this time, trusting previous results and the performance his calves have achieved at home.”

Poll Charolais bulls have been used across the Littlehales’ pedigree herd as well as their 100 cow suckler herd for over 30 years. “British Charolais, and particularly the poll bulls, leave progeny with that superior weight for age and quality conformation, combined with good temperament and reduced labour with no dehorning and easier calvings from lower birth weights of less than 40kg.”

Pentervin is believed to be the only herd with three proven unrelated homozygous poll Charolais bulls with semen for sale worldwide and at home.