Ballinwing Aberdeen-Angus -  for excellence in Angus genetics   worldwide from Ireland

Ballinwing Aberdeen-Angus Herd, established in 1923, is the oldest pedigree cattle herd in the West of Ireland. The herd contains unique Aberdeen-Angus foundation  family bloodlines - the Vine maternal line – dating back to the foundation of the breed in the early part of the nineteenth century.

History
The first animal to be registered under the Ballinwing prefix with the Aberdeen Angus herdbook was a  calf born in 1923  to an Zara  line female purchased at RDS, Dublin. For nearly a decade prior to that, AA bulls purchased at the  RDS, had been used on a commercial herd at Ballinwing.  In 1932  two Vine females  from the Milford herd were purchased.
The Zara family no longer exist at Ballinwing  but the present herd  are all direct descendents   of the Milford Vines. No other females were introduced to the herd (since 1932) only stock bulls from leading herds in Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. In the 1950s –1960s bulls purchased Perth Bull Sales  were used at Ballinwing, the most popular being Balson of Netherton.  For the past ten years imported North American embryos have been used  as stock bulls in the herd.

The Vine maternal line
The Ballinwing Herd is one of  only a few worldwide where its  breeding  herd can be directly linked to the foundation of the Angus breed by McCombie at Tillyfour through Vine of Tillyfour.
Vine of Tillyfour 1167 was a daughter by Black Prince of Tillyfour 366 of Pride of Aberdeens full sister, Daisy of Tillyfour 1165.  Vine’s  fifth daughter , Vine 9th 3256, was sold in 1878 to Aboyne ( Scotland) and in 1881 to Haynes Park ( near London) for 115 guineas. Her progeny crossed to Ireland, and to the Milford Herd ( in County  Carlow)  and hence to Ballinwing .



Ballinwing –  an ideal  source of  Angus  genetics
The  pedigree herd at Ballinwing has been commercially run and weight recorded  since 1997 initially through Signet Beefbreeder and currently  through Breedplan . The emphasis has been on the use of recorded bulls  ( both AI  and carefully selected stock bulls) as herd sires with strong breed characteristics.
Today’s pedigree herd consists of over 50 selected breeding females.
Breeding animals in the herd are Genestar tested for tenderness and other genetic markers.

The current stock bull at Ballinwing is the Vermilion Dateline 7078 sired Woodvale Mr Angus E163. His first two calves to be offered for Show and Sale were breed champions at Dungannon AA Society Sale in  April and October 2008.  AI Services had acquired another son of Mr Angus, Woodvale Total.

USA
  In 1988  heifers from Ballinwing  were exported to  Woodstone Angus  in Texas These imports with others from Ireland have proved very successful for  ’ Woodstone  Read the full story at  www.irishherd.com

Italy
 In May 2007 , 19 heifers and one bull from Ballinwing were exported to Southern  Italy to form the first Angus herd in this region. View them in their new location at: www.comind.info

Portugal and Azores
In 2008  bulls from Ballinwing  were exported to Portugal and the Azores

Australia
In 2004 the owner of the 11,000 acre Grange Angus Stud in Australia , John Roberts made his first visit to Ireland  . A consignment of 51 embryos , collected on farm by Cork based embryo transfer company, Genexcel Ireland Limited were  exported. In June 2006, 25 calves from the cows at |Ballinwing  were born to surrogate mothers at Grange Angus in Dungara Western Australia.

Canada
 WAF Eric 353U   dam Ballinwing Kitty 2nd  is the only Irish bred calf at the WAF Embryo Program, July 2009.
See  www.worldangusforum.com