Geno Performance Test Station
The testing takes place at Geno Performance Test Station at Øyer in Gudbrandsdal. Here the bulls are kept in pens, each containing 15-25 animals. They are evaluated for growth rate (from 150-330 days of age), conformation (at the age of 1 year) and temperament.
Geno Performance Test Station is located at Øyer, 17 km north of Lillehammer.
Photo: Brox
About 1/3 of the performance tested young bulls are selected for progeny testing.
Photo: Jan Arve Kristiansen, Geno
Geno Store Ree AI Centre
Bulls selected for progeny testing are transferred to Geno Store Ree AI Centre at the age of approx. 14 months. Here, 3.000 straws of semen from each bull are produced.
After finishing the semen production, the bulls are kept in a live bull system for about four years, while awaiting their progeny test results. The top ranked bulls after progeny testing are used as elite sires.
EU approval
The AI centre has been approved by the EU, which means that Geno can export semen to both the EU and many third countries. This entails monitoring the health conditions of the bulls, in accordance with EU directive 88/407.
Checks are carried out following a well-defined timetable for the infectious diseases tuberculosis, brucellosis, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/infectious pustular vulvovaginitis (IBR/IPV), enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL), bovine viral diarrhoea/mucosal disease (BVD/MD), campylobacteriosis and trichomonosis. This involves screening during the pre-isolation period (at the performance test station) and the quarantine period, as well as later routine checks at the AI centre.
Geno Store Ree AI Centre is located at Stange, 15 km south of Hamar.
Photo: Finnfoto
In these bull houses at the AI centre the Norwegian Red (NRF) bulls are awaiting
their progeny test results . . .
Photo: Finnfoto
. . . 130 bulls in each bull house.
Photo: Finnfoto