DairyCo

Shottle and Goldwyn sons make proof run debut

Published 17 August 10

Shottle and Goldwyn sons make proof run debut

Sons of Shottle and Goldwyn have been eagerly awaited by Holstein breeders across the country and this month's proof run, published on Tuesday 17 August by DairyCo Breeding+, gives just a hint of what might be to come.

But indomitable in his number one position remains Oman (O-Bee Manfred Justice), retaining his lead for Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) and still followed by many of his sons.

Remarkably, Oman improves his PLI yet further, now breaking the £250 barrier as over 100 UK daughters are added to his proof, and standing 18 points ahead of his closest rival and highest ranking son.

So consistent is the performance near the top of the PLI ranking - showing little difference from the last published figures (April) - that we skip right down to 26^th position to find the first new interest that will bring something different to British breeders.

And here we find the first proven Goldwyn son, which comes in the shape of Glenn-Ann Palermo. With a PLI of £169, Palermo improves on fat and protein percentages - just like his sire - and combines this with superb indexes for SCC, Lifespan and daughter Fertility Index, with a score of +6.2.

Palermo shares his position with a son of outcross sire Laudan - Kings-Ransom Dover - who transmits a similar 'no-holes' breeding pattern, and with +2.1 for direct Calving Ease, is suitable for use on heifers.

The second Goldwyn son is Gillette Jordan, ranking immediately behind these two bulls, and with a PLI of £168. Again strong in both production and fitness, he is also the highest type transmitter of these three with a Type Merit of +2.9.

Immediately behind is the highest ranking UK-bred and proven bull - Cogent Elvina. With a PLI of £167, Elvina is sired by the Lukas son Maestro, and made his debut in the April proof run. He improves on his PLI this August with additional daughter information.

The first Shottle son to earn himself a top 50 proof is another UK progeny tested bull - Cogent Twist. This bull combines solid production with good SCC and lifespan figures and scores +1.9 for Type Merit. Out of the American Art-Acres Tex family, his dam is still alive and now in her fourth lactation in the Grosvenor herd.

Commenting on the leading bulls, Marco Winters, head of genetics for DairyCo says: "The stability throughout the bull rankings should give reassurance to British breeders who rarely witness the swings in figures occasionally seen in the past.

"But perhaps more reassuring still is the quality of so many bulls in the top 10 of the PLI ranking.

"They are nearly all big improvers for daughter Fertility Index; they are nearly all very good for reducing cell counts; all transmit improved cow lifespan and they combine this with solid production and good calving abilities.

"This is further evidence that PLI is delivering what it was set up to do."

A table of the top 50 available Holstein bulls ranked on the latest PLI (August 2010) appears below. Type Merit is supplied by Holstein UK.

TOP 50 HOLSTEIN BULLS RANKED ON PROFITABLE LIFETIME INDEX (PLI) AUGUST 2010

ALT = Alta; AV= Avoncroft; BUL = bullsemen.com; COG = Cogent; DD = Dairy Daughters; GEN = Genus; SAM = Samen; SMX = Semex; WWS = World Wide Sires UK; VIK = UK Viking Genetics.  PLI = Profitable Lifetime Index; FI = Fertility Index; LS = Lifespan Index; SCC = Somatic Cell Count Index; dCE% = direct Calving Ease; TM = Type Merit.