Preparing for spring block calving moves focus to £SCI

Calving will soon be under way in many grazing based, block calving herds, and the latest across-breed ranking for Spring Calving Index (£SCI), published today will be the key focus for sire selection for those with an eye on profitability.

Spring Calving Index (£SCI)

At the top of the list are the same two bulls who led the way in the summer rankings, the Holstein, Progenesis Wimbledon (SCI £575) and the Jersey, VJ Ravninggaard Huus Hamlet D (SCI £533). Both Wimbledon’s transmission of shorter than average gestation length and Hamlet’s high fat and protein percentages and low maintenance feed costs are features popular with spring block calving herds.

Level-pegging with Hamlet, with a strong move upwards from 14th to equal second position, comes New Zealand’s Digs Hardcopy. With an SCI of £533, this crossbred bull transmits equally well for fat and protein percent and has good daughter fertility.

The next three places remain unchanged, with fourth place taken by Pine-Tree CW Legacy, offering low cell counts, good daughter lifespan and an SCI of £532. He is followed by ABS Sassafras (SCI £525), with high fat transmitting abilities, and sixth placed Jersey Danish VJ Zummit (SCI £523).

Moving up to seventh is Progenesis Unicorn (SCI £522), transmitting the best daughter fertility of the top 10 sires as well as good calf survival and high production. Holstein £PLI front-runner, Bomaz AltaCabot, moves into eighth (SCI £519), ahead of S-S-I Rolan Brawn moving up significantly to now rank ninth (SCI £518). He stands ahead of 10th placed Westcoast River, who is the best cell count improver of the top 10 £SCI sires.

Autumn Calving Index (£ACI)

Producers block calving in autumn are referred to the dairy breeding and genetics pages of the AHDB website, where they’ll find the new number one sire for Autumn Calving Index (£ACI) is Pine-Tree CW Legacy. This bull’s high ranking in all three indexes (£PLI, £SCI and £ACI) is a measure of the superb udder health, fertility and lifespan he transmits to his daughters, along with high production.

No comparison

Block calving producers are reminded not to compare the component figures of the £SCI or £ACI with those used in the calculation of Profitable Lifetime Index as £PLI is calculated at a breed level, whereas the seasonal indexes are expressed across the breeds, and hence, use a different average.