Stability through the other dairy breed rankings

The new Jersey Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) ranking represents something of a reshuffle, with all former top 10 bulls remaining in the top 12, making way for just two newcomers high on the AHDB-published list.

Moving up to take control is VJ Kibsgaard Jocko Jojo, whose PLI of £477 reflects his good production figures (418kg milk and 38.5kg fat plus protein) alongside a favourable Mastitis Index of -2.

He is now followed by last time’s front-runner, VJ NR Hauggaard Nibali Nibiru, with a PLI of £439. Nibiru is a high milk quality bull (+0.22% fat, +0.18% protein) with excellent health traits, which earn him a HealthyCow of £186.

A new entry in third is VJ Outrup Luxi Luxplus (PLI £429) who graduates from the young sire genomic list, where he also ranked third last August. He transmits good all-round production and health, and is one of the highest ranking EnviroCow Jerseys at 2.2.

Climbing up to fourth place is VJ NR Haugaart Hays Hauga (PLI £401), notable for his outstanding daughter Fertility Index of 12.9.

Rounding off the top five is VJ Hoeholt Jern James (PLI £371), who now has 172 UK daughters contributing to his figures and earns exceptional udder health scores of -23 SCC and -3 Mastitis, meaning he will reduce the level and incidence of these traits.

Only the number 10 bull did not feature in the Jersey top 10 ranking in the previous proof run, VJ Juulsgaard Hamlet Hamulus moving up this time from 13th position, having increased his PLI to £329.

Ayrshire

Similar stability in the Ayrshire ranking sees all five of the top bulls retaining exactly their previous positions. Holding on at number one is Tontine Astorwell, a UK-bred bull with extreme production figures (809kg milk) and good udder health (-15 SCC). His PLI is £532.

VR Hakvin retains second place, now with a PLI of £502 and with a good Lifespan (+97 days) and daughter Fertility Index (11.9).

VR Venom now has 274 UK milking daughters contributing to his figures which include his breed-leading daughter Fertility Index of 19.3 and a PLI of £466.

Retaining fourth position is VR Vilano at £449, ahead of another UK-bred bull, Whinnow Origin who holds on to fifth place (PLI £426), with a breed-leading weight of fat (32.9kg).

A similar stability exists in the Friesian £PLI ranking, with Bloemplaat Hoeve Ewoud retaining his lead (PLI £300) and continuing to stand out for his high protein (11.7kg) and good SCC (-10).

Inch Hearty (PLI £249) remains in second and transmits exceptional lifespan (+107 days) and keeping his third position is Catlane Cromwell, who transmits improvements to mastitis (-3) and high overall health (HealthyCow £168; PLI £247).

Climbing up to fourth place is Dalino, whose big improvements to cell counts (SCC -13) help earn him a PLI of £222. Also edging into the top five is Langley Berkley whose transmission of high milk components (+0.05% fat, +0.11% protein) and the highest HealthyCow of the top five at £176 contribute to a PLI of £217.

The Friesian £PLI ranking for young genomic sires shows a similar stability, with just a minor re-ranking amongst the top five bulls.

Former number four, Wyevalley Veritas, rises to the lead, continuing to show excellent health traits (HealthyCow £163) and earning a PLI of £323. He is followed by a high daughter fertility transmitter, Goonhilly Coverack (PLI £321; FI 4.1), and the high protein sire (13.2kg, 0.05%), Goonhilly Cornelly, with a PLI of £303.

Marco Winters, head of animal genetics for AHDB said:

"It’s worth noting that we would always expect much more stability in the non-Holstein breed rankings as the population sizes for each breed are so much smaller.

"In many cases, bulls only drop out of the lists when they are withdrawn from the market and with far fewer sires bred each year, there is never the same jostling for position we see amongst the Holsteins."

Other dairy breed indexes are published on our website, where the Montbéliarde, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Shorthorn and Fleckvieh are all represented.