Meet Britain’s biggest cash cow – a one-tonne stud bull which made its owners more than £100,000 in just 36 hours.
Garth, who lives on Vexour Farm in Kent, became the world’s most expensive Charolais bull when he was sold at auction in 2012 for £105,000.
But now that he is about turn three, Garth is embarking on a career as one of the world’s most sought-after sires, able to produce more than £800,000 of semen every month.
Cash cow: Garth pictured with carer Ray Firminger at Vexour Farm in Kent. The bull is embarking on a career as one of the world’s most sought-after sires, able to produce more than £800,000 of semen every month
Hello heifers: A straw of semen, which is thinner than a biro cartridge, costs £100 plus VAT and Garth the bull is capable of producing 8,000 straws a month
One reason Garth’s semen is so expensive is because his father was Dingle Hofmeister, a bull who has gone down in breeding legend for the vast quantities of semen he was able to produce, and for his incredibly lean and healthy offspring.
Another reason for the price is Garth’s own physical attributes.
Not only does he measure 6ft foot at the head, 5ft 7in at the shoulders and 10ft long, Garth’s testicles are also 45cm in diameter, allowing him to produce semen in far greater quantities than a typical bull.
Breeders hope that by using Garth’s semen in their own herd, they may one day be able to produce a bull with a similar earning power.
A straw of semen, which is thinner than a biro cartridge, costs £100 plus VAT and Garth is capable of producing 8,000 straws a month.
When the first 2,000 straws became available, they were snapped up in less than 36 hours – netting Garth’s American owner more than £100,000.
It is estimated over his lifetime, Garth will bring in in excess of £2.2million.
Garth is looked after by Ray Firminger, who has been working at Vexour Farm in Kent for ten years.
Impressive specimen: Not only does Garth measure 6ft at the head, 5ft 7in at the shoulders and 10ft long, his testicles are also 45cm in diameter
Mr Firminger, 57, said: ‘He is the result of genetics and luck. The sire and dam have produced an animal of this quality.’
‘He’s very well behaved, he’s quiet and docile which is good but he could be dangerous. He’s capable of running 100 yards in the same time as a sprinter.’
‘He really could be a once-in-a-lifetime bull. He’s one of the finest bulls around and he is the priciest, it costs £100 for a straw of semen.’
Mr Firminger said the first of Garth’s calves should be born next month and will be closely analysed to assess the quality. After that, Garth will begin preparing to produce another batch of straws.
Likening Garth to legendary unbeaten racehorse Frankel, who since retiring from competitions in 2012 has broken all financial records as a stud, Mr Firminger said: ‘Give him a few years and you could be able to compare them.’
The hope is that a physically perfect specimen such as Garth will produce fast-growing cows who create plenty of milk and have a lot of lean meat and very little waste.
Mainly as a result of the price of his semen, Garth himself has been valued at £200,000.
He lives on a high protein, easily digestible diet which consists of around 15kg of food per day.
It is made up of barley, wheat, peas, beans, yeast protein and also a special mineral powder and costs up to £20 every day.
Living like a king: Mainly as a result of the price of his semen, Garth himself has been valued at £200,000. He lives on a high protein, easily digestible diet which consists of around 15kg of food every day
In need of a lie down: Garth is capable of producing around 2,000 straws in a single mating session, and around 8,000 every month. Each straw sells for £100 plus VAT
Garth’s pen even has a custom-made electronic groomer, which he rubs against to keep his coat in perfect condition.
Although there was always in interest in Garth, even Vexour Farm were surprised when he ended up selling at auction for a world record 100,000 guineas (£105,000) in 2012.
But instead of shipping Garth across the Atlantic, his new American owners decided to leave the animal at Vexour Farm under the care of Mr Firminger.
In order to produce the semen, Garth is introduced to a heifer which has been artificially placed on heat.
Midway through mating, a member of staff separates the pair and collects the semen in a test tube.
The semen is then taken to a laboratory where it is placed into a straw, frozen and sent all over the world.
Garth is capable of producing around 2,000 straws in a single mating session, and around 8,000 every month.
However, in order to ensure Garth is able to produced high quality semen over the course of his lifetime, his owners have requested that semen is only collected for three months every year.
Source: UK Daily Mail
