Major success for UK breeding in new PLI ranking
A major success for UK breeding is reported in this week’s Holstein proof run, as Northern Ireland-bred Ballycairn Tiergan rises to the top of the DairyCo ranking for all UK and international bulls whose indexes are based on the performance of milking daughters. Ranked on Profitable Lifetime Index, Tiergan scores an impressive ’243, up 27 PLI points as he adds 19 daughter lactations and gains ground for production, fitness and lifespan.
Bred by Andrew McCollum from Coleraine, Tiergan is the first UK bull to head the PLI list for many years, and is of truly international calibre, being used as a sire of sons around the world. A son of Goldwyn, he is out of the home-bred Ballycairn Garter Tinnie VG87.
Other major risers in the top 10 are the high type Guarini (Goldwyn x Oman) up to PLI ’229 and transmitting remarkable improvements in cell counts (SCC Index -30); his full brother, Goldfire, who is an exceptional daughter fertility improver (Fertility Index 5.8); and UK-bred Shottle son, Cogent Twist, whose 15 extra lactations see him climbing into the top 10 for the first time and offering exceptional fat production at 38.9kg, the highest of all the leading PLI bulls.
The only complete newcomer to the top 10 is Danillo (Goldwyn x Oman) who is the highest type transmitter in the top 10 and offers good production, including high components and good daughter fitness across the board. He has a PLI of ’219.
Danillo’s pedigree may look familiar to breeders who have used former number one sire, ALH Dakota, as his dam is full sister to Dakota, who remains the highest protein producer in the top 10 at 31.7kg.
Trio of British newcomers
Three new UK-proven bulls make their debut this proof run, with Woodmarsh Olympian (Goldwyn x Jolt) the highest ranking with a PLI of ’174, closely followed by two more bulls from the Ballycairn herd, both with interesting outcross pedigrees. With a PLI of ’170, Ballycairn Mascol Mars is a Mascol x Export, and at ’166 PLI, Ballycairn Jose Verve is a Jose x Zelati.
’The daughter-proven bulls which are high for PLI should form the basis of any breeding policy where profitable milk production is a priority,’ says Marco Winters, head of genetics for DairyCo.
’We have the excitement of genomic indexes for young bulls also launched this week [see separate press release], and while the young bulls unquestionably offer dairy producers the scope to make worthwhile genetic improvement in their herds, using a core of high reliability, daughter-proven bulls remains a sensible breeding strategy.’
