Spring Calving Index brings choice across the breeds

With most autumn calving herds well through genetic selection, if not their inseminations, attention turns to the breeding months ahead for spring calving herds. 

Those using the recommended Spring Calving Index (£SCI), which has been updated this month by AHDB, will find plenty of choice across the Jersey and black and white breeds.

Jerseys fare particularly well this time around, with their high-quality milk and small body size a particular attraction for the grazing-based, block calving producers for who this index was created.

VJ Outrup Luxi Luplus leads the way, edging the former front runner into second place. With an SCI of £606, this Jersey bull combines exceptional daughter maintenance with extended lifespan.

The Holstein bull, Peak AltaSeverus (SCI £596), drops to second place in this across-breed ranking, but remains a leader for weight of milk, fat and protein.

Holding firm in third, Denovo Invictus (SCI £589) continues to impress with low cell counts and outstanding fertility in his daughters. With 3,163 now milking in the UK, Invictus offers proven reliability across many herds.

Another Jersey bull, VJ Agarden Lutter Ludo, moves up to fourth (SCI £588), excelling in milk quality (fat and protein), and proving to be ideal for component-focused breeding strategies.

In fifth, Denovo Adderley (SCI £585) also delivers desirable fat and protein for Holstein herds seeking milk solids.

Winstar Graziano (SCI £575) transmits even higher weights of milk, fat and protein, also offering SCC improvement, and now stands in sixth position.

Seventh position is jointly held by Jerey sires, VJ Ravninggaard Huus Hamlet and VJ Boman Lasky Lando (SCI £567), both transmitting exceptional fertility and low maintenance costs for feed – key traits for spring block calving herds.

Two new graduate bulls complete the top 10: Peak Altasolace (SCI £563), bringing health and fertility benefits and VJ Adelgaard Nibiru Nicas (SCI £543), offering solid all-round performance.

Autumn Calving Index (ACI)

In the Autumn Calving Index (ACI) ranking, Peak AltaSeverus retains the top spot with an ACI of £736, combining exceptionally healthy daughters with high milk and solids production, and demonstrating his versatility by featuring high in all this month’s published lists.

New graduate, Peak Altasolace – a bull which also fares well for £PLI and £SCI – enters the £ACI ranking in second position, (ACI £686). Offering excellent fertility and SCC improvement, he is a standout bull for health-focused breeding.

Winstar Graziano holds third (ACI £683), continuing his reputation for milk components and SCC.

Fourth and fifth positions go to Denovo Invictus (ACI £680) and Lars-Acres George Miller (ACI £669). Invictus shines for fertility and maintenance, while George Miller promotes daughter health.

In sixth, OCD Trooper Sheepster (ACI £662) transmits excellent fat solids and positive fertility, closely followed by SDG-PH Delux Dominance (ACI £657) in seventh, offering similar strengths.

Eighth place is shared by Peak Mauney and Denovo Adderley (ACI £653), with Mauney focusing on fertility and Adderley on exceptional solids.

Completing the top 10 is the long-standing Westcoast Guarantee (ACI £644), a proven sire promoting favourable SCC and mastitis resistance.

Victoria Ashmore, animal genomics manager at AHDB, said:

“These bulls are assessed in an across-breed ranking and it’s pleasing to see an equal split between Jerseys and black and whites at the top of this £SCI release.

“By making the assessment across all the breeds, producers who have crossbred herds are able to easily compare the performance of any dairy breed against another for their suitability in their block calving herd.

“However, it’s important to remember that £SCI and £ACI cannot be compared with one another and equally, figures used to calculate these block calving indexes cannot be compared with any figures from the breed-specific £PLI lists.”

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.

Peak AltaSeverus drops to second in the across breed rankings