A former number one bull with outstanding health and fitness traits returns to his breed-leading position in the new Holstein bull proofs for August 2013.
The three extra points for Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) earned by Guarini see this Goldwyn son move up from number two position to head the new ranking, and continue to transmit exceptionally low daughter cell counts alongside good production and type. His PLI is £262.
The appearance of two UK-bred and proven bulls in the top five is a credit to the domestic progeny testing programmes, as Cogent Twist edges up to second position with a PLI of £256 ahead of Ballycairn Oman Pello, ranked third (PLI £252). Both bulls exceed 40kg fat in their Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA), Twist with higher components and Pello with a larger volume of milk. Twist has the distinction of being the highest ranking Shottle son while Pello is the biggest protein improver with a massive 34kg – both against all international sires.
Former number one sire, Whitman Oman Awesome Andy is edged into fourth position (PLI £248) but is the highest daughter lifespan improver in the top 10 and also strong on his daughter Fertility Index, with scores of +0.6 and +6.8 respectively.
Another fertility improver (Fertility Index +6.3) is the equal fourth ranking Morningview Levi, but beneath him, Crockett-Acres Eight has put in a remarkable performance for daughter fertility and makes his re-entry to the top 10 with a PLI of £243. This is thanks to a large influx of UK daughters that have lifted his Fertility Index to a massive +12.0.
Lynbrook Jancen shares sixth place with Eight, and is followed by another high climber Bakombre (PLI £235), thanks to many more daughters in his German proof. Bakombre is a Baxter from the same family as ALH Dakota, who ranks ninth, with a PLI of £233.
Level-pegging with Dakota and rounding off the top 10 is the highest new entry, in the shape of Danish-born Roskilde. This bull is an early son of Roumare (himself a son of the popular Jocko Besne) from the well-known Grietje-family. He transmits the high solids for which the family is well known.
Beneath the high-fliers in the top 10, UK names to note include Laurelhill Classic, an Oman son with superb fitness traits, and the new entry, Sherdon Irresistable, both with a PLI of £225. Irresistable’s unique pedigree of Cogent Maestro x Zelati x Hairy Breiz provides a refreshing outcross in this ranking.
Another new entry is the Oman son, ABS Simon (PLI £221), and the final British bull in the top 25 is the well-known Ballycairn Tiergan at PLI £218.
Marco Winters, head of DairyCo Breeding+ says the combination of stability in the rankings and a good showing of UK-proven bulls is particularly encouraging and – with such a wide choice of sires, especially those strong on health and fitness traits – he urges breeders to look in detail at their figures.
“It’s not just about the headline PTAs, but it’s important that UK producers know the source of the information they’re using,” he says.
“It’s for this reason that we have introduced an advertising code this month which has been signed by all the major AI companies, and which we hope will ensure breeders receive the most appropriate and meaningful information.
“With more sires than ever in the system – some with genomic and others with daughter-proven figures – this new code should ensure breeders are aware of exactly the type of dairy sire they are considering.”
