High milk solids rise to the top amongst non-Holstein breeds

Dutch-bred Bloemplaat Hoeve Ewoud continues to move up the Friesian rankings to take the lead in this breed’s evaluations, published today by AHDB.

Friesian

This son of Bernard transmits high milk solids, with Predicted Transmitting Abilities (PTAs) of 13.7kg fat and 13.1kg protein, alongside cell count reduction (SCC -11), all of which helps earn him a Profitable Lifetime Index of £303.

Black and white breeders are reminded that Ewoud’s daughter Fertility Index of 3.7 represents better fertility than that of a Holstein with the same score, because FI – as with all breed-specific evaluations – is calculated only within each breed, and in this case the Friesian genetic base (or average) is higher for this particular trait.

Inch Hearty moves up one place to take second position, with a PLI of £292. Hearty has a high Lifespan Index (LS +119 days) and a Type Merit of 1.8.

Former breed leader, Manorpark Google, now ranks third with a PLI of £284, but remains the top production transmitter of the Friesian breed, with PTAs of 453kg milk and 38.4kg combined fat plus protein.

Catlane Cromwell ranks fourth, with a PLI of £275 and a favourable HealthyCow of £182, just ahead of the popular Lakemead Jingle, at £265 PLI. Now with 1433 UK milking daughters, Jingle has a solid Lifespan of +113 days combined with high protein (14.1kg).

Jersey

A new leader has risen to the top of the Jersey rankings in the shape of Danish-bred, VJ Hoeholt Jern James, with a PLI of £442. This good udder health improver (-20 SCC, -1 Mastitis), also scores well for daughter fertility, at 7.5.

New in the rankings is JX Cal-Mart Westpoint {5}, a high milk solids transmitter from the USA (26.6kg fat and 19kg protein). He combines this with +88 days for Lifespan and earns a PLI of £430. As with all JX prefixed animals, this bull has at least one ancestor of another breed in its back pedigree, in this case five generations back.

JX River Valley Chief maintains his position as the highest production sire on the Jersey ranking, now in third position with a PTA for milk of 855kg and a PLI of £429.

High health sire, VJ Groenbjerg Lobo Lobster ranks fourth (PLI £426) and has a HealthyCow of £150, thanks to good ratings for udder health, longevity and a tremendous daughter Fertility Index of 12.1.

Moving up the rankings to fifth place is VJ Haugstedgaard Choko Chief, who also has a high Calf Survival score at 1.4 and earns a PLI of £400.

Ayrshire

VR Vilano is the new number one in the Ayrshire ranking, offering a favourable Lifespan of +82 days, high daughter Fertility Index (+9) and good all-round production. He now weighs in with a PLI of £442, edging the former number one sire, VR Venom, into second place.

Venom’s PLI of £439 reflects high percentage fat transmission at +0.22%, and phenomenal daughter Fertility Index of +17.7. This contributes to a HealthyCow of £202.

Breed-leading production sire remains the UK-bred Troutbeck Progress, now ranking third with a PLI of £390. This bull gained further on his already high PTA for milk, now at 997kg.

In fourth place comes another high milk solids transmitter in the shape of VR Solvarp Hjuve Hosea, with 26.6kg fat and 19.5kg protein. Also transmitting low cell counts, (SCC -10), he has a PLI of £369.

The best udder health sire of the Ayrshire breed is the fifth-ranking VR Fabu, whose SCC of -21 combined with -3 for Mastitis, are unmatched in the rankings. He also has the highest PTA for protein percentage at +0.24%, and earns a PLI of £342.

Marco Winters, head of animal genetics for AHDB, reminds producers that each breed’s figures represent a comparison with their own breed average and cannot be compared with other breeds.

"It's important not to compare one breed with another on these breed-specific lists so for those using a mixture of breeds, it may be better to use an across-breed index, such as the Spring or Autumn Calving Index, depending on the herd's system of farming and season of calving."

Other breeds

Other dairy breed indexes for Montbéliarde, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Shorthorn and Fleckvieh are published on our website

Bloemplaat Hoeve Ewoud, the new number one Friesian sire