A UK-bred Holstein has surged to the top of AHDB’s latest young genomic sire rankings, with DeNovo Coyote P leading December’s evaluations and underlining the growing influence of British genetics in global dairy breeding.
Published today (2 December), the new figures place Coyote—a UK-born DeNovo bull and son of Klassic P—firmly at the head of the table. He is predicted to transmit exceptional fat production, at 62.2kg and +0.30%, and carries a HealthyCow index of £157.
Together, these traits give him a Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) of £871 and make him the highest-ranked young genomic Holstein sire this month. Coyote is also one of five UK-bred DeNovo bulls now sitting inside the top 30.
Just behind him, Badger Siemers Day Trip climbs into second place with a PLI of £870. The Sheepster son stands out for daughter longevity, boasting a Lifespan score of +180 days, as well as strong maintenance (-22) and somatic cell count (-20) predictions. Third place goes to another Sheepster son, Progenesis Preston, whose PLI of £867 is reinforced by impressive protein transmission at 41.7kg.
DeNovo 20723 Columbia rises to fourth with a PLI of £864. The Leeds son excels on milk yield at 1,140kg and carries a notable Feed Advantage (FAdv) of 240kg—meaning his daughters are expected to consume 240kg less dry matter per lactation than those of a comparable bull scoring zero for FAdv.
Fifth-placed Adaway Beyond Fitness (PLI £862) earns his ranking through strong fertility, with a daughter Fertility Index of +10 and a HealthyCow score of £205. Two bulls share sixth position on £860: Peak AltaValuepack and Adaway Beyond Faithful, the latter being a herd-mate and maternal half-brother to the number five bull, with both scoring strongly for health and welfare traits.
Eighth and ninth place go to two new entrants. DeNovo Charisma—another maternal half-brother to the top bull, Coyote—enters on £856, offering 1,122kg milk alongside impressive udder health (SCC -27, mastitis -2) and a HealthyCow score of £221. Hendel Manson, ranked ninth on £853, is predicted to perform well for Lameness Advantage (3.1) and Feed Advantage (214kg).
Rounding out the top 10 is DeNovo 20893 Harmony, with a PLI of £845. Harmony offers the strongest Feed Advantage in the top 20 at 291kg and the highest environmental credentials in the breed, with an EnviroCow score of 4.8.
Other notable new arrivals in the top 20 include DeNovo Mascot (PLI £833), a maternal half-brother to Harmony, with outstanding udder health and the best fertility of the group at FI 12.9. Two Dominance sons also join the list: Genosource Youdontsay (PLI £827), delivering strong fat-plus-protein production at 92.9kg, and Progenesis Persimmon (PLI £826).
Marco Winters, AHDB’s head of animal genetics, said the overall trend across the list reflects important efficiency gains. “All top bulls in this young sire ranking are predicted to transmit improved feed maintenance thanks to smaller body sizes – a highly desirable trait that reduces feed costs and contributes to a lower carbon footprint,” he said.
