Young Holstein sires launched initially with genomic proofs are progressing to daughter-proven status with figures close to their original genomic predictions, according to DairyCo’s Head of Genetics Marco Winters.
In a population of 3,001 young bulls with an average genomic PLI of £100 at 69% reliability, their daughter-proven average PLI nearly two years later was £101 at 81% reliability.
“The major production, management and functional type traits for these bulls show a strong average correlation from genomic to daughter-proof of 0.88, permitting farmers to use genomic young sires with increased confidence,” says Mr Winters. In DairyCo's December 2014 proof run, an example of this in practice is a group of three Holsteins that ranked highly on genomic proofs, all of which have made a successful transition to daughter-proof.
Genervations Lexor entered the UK's top 25 sires for daughter-based PLI at £498, combined with +2.47 genomic Type Merit (TM). According to Sterling Sires Livestock Manager Simon Gee, six UK daughters have been classified so far averaging GP84.5. "Among management traits, he is close to ideal, being positive for calving ease, fertility and lifespan, and a cell count reducer," he says.
Better than merely holding steady, Genervations Epic received a £50 increase in PLI to £347 and a 13% uplift in TM from 2.46 to 2.78 in the December run. His type proof is based on 300 daughters in 183 herds in The Netherlands, USA and Canada. In the UK, Mr Gee says seventeen have been classified so far with scores as high as VG87 and an average of GP84.4. Among management traits, the bull's rating for fertility nearly doubled, from +3.3 to +6.1.
Also rising more than 10% for PLI is Mapel Wood Boulder at £443, and TM from +2.03 to +2.11. Simon Gee suggests that +7.1 fertility and balanced type make this sire a great all round option for commercial milk production. Boulder is also the sire of three sons already in AI with promising genomic proofs: Liquid Gold, Fusion and Gizmo.
