Publish date: 1.8.24
Our Holstein sires are truly standouts. We have a wide range of sires that fit a variety of operational needs and excel for industry traits and indexes. For every sire summary, we publish our top dairy sires who rank in the top ten for a select group of traits and indexes. See which of our top Holstein dairy sires ranked in the top ten for various traits and indexes! The top ten are listed below each description.
NM$
NM$ or Net Merit is an industry index that combines many traits into a single value that drives genetic progress, ranks animals, and streamlines management decisions. Although NM$ is a useful tool, ABS still believes that creating a Custom Index is the best option for producers to make faster genetic progress. This is because you have the flexibility to determine what traits are important for your operation and how much weight you want to place on them. Below are the top ten sires in our Holstein lineup for NM$
TPI
TPI is the Total Performance Index and is designed to assist dairy producers in selecting sires to advance their herds in three areas. Those major categories are production, health and fertility, and conformation. It also includes weight for feed efficiency. Our top dairy sires who rank for TPI can be seen below.
MILK
The trait MILK is represented in pounds of milk produced. It demonstrates the expected second-lactation milk production in pounds compared to the breed average. As this number increases, the pounds of milk produced are expected to increase.
FAT
FAT shows producers the expected second-lactation fat production in pounds compared to the breed average. If you are selling in a market that pays you on fat, you will want a greater number here.
PROTEIN
The higher the number for the trait PROTEIN results in increased protein pounds. The trait PROTEIN describes the expected second-lactation fat production in pounds compared to the breed average.
PL
PL stands for Productive Life, and this trait shows producers the additional months of life in the milking string. Focus on this trait to increase days in milk.
SCS
SCS uses somatic cell score from the first five lactations as an indicator of mastitis resistance. This indicates genetic susceptibility for udder health.
DPR
Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) is the percentage of nonpregnant cows that become pregnant during each 21-day period compared to the breed average.
PTAT
PTAT or PTA Type predicts the animal’s genetic ability to transmit to the offspring’s final classification or appraisal score in the breed’s classification program.
UDC
UDC is an index that combines several udder traits to support producers in selection by combining those traits into a single value. The Udder Composite Index expresses weighting to reflect each trait’s contribution to higher udder scores.
FLC
Feet and Legs Composite (FLC) is an index that combines several feet and leg traits. FLC is weighted to suggest the traits’ economic benefit.
CCR
Cow Conception Rate is the percentage of inseminated heifers that become pregnant at each service. As the CCR value increases, the result would be an increase in conception rate.
If you feel like managing all these traits is overwhelming, you are in luck. Building a Custom Index for your herd allows you to combine and weight traits on importance into a single value. You can then use your index to handpick sires, rank your females, and make breeding decisions. Using a Custom Index reduces the headache when choosing the right genetics for your herd.
We are proud to offer our customers the best genetics in the industry. Our lineup is filled with top dairy sires who exceed expectations for production, fertility and health, conformation, and much more! This is evident in the lists above. Choosing the right genetics for your herd is imperative for your genetic progress and profitability, and we are here to help you every step of the way!
Looking to make faster genetic progress or need help in your genetic selection? Contact your ABS Genetic Advisor today or complete the form below.
(608) 846 3721