Strict criteria enable making best choice

THE ‘all-round’ list has been created using a set of strict criteria, according to Alison Maddrell of the Centre for Dairy Information (CDI).

These include a PLI of more than £100 (roughly equivalent to the £30 used previously); 200kg of milk; more than -0.1 fat percentage; more than +1 for mammary; more than +1 for legs and feet and more than 0 for lifespan.

“After the release of the August type and production figures, a useful list of around 100 bulls is returned. If we also demand cell count improvement, increasingly important from both a health and welfare and management point of view, we would still have a list of 53 bulls,” said Ms Maddrell.

“For those looking for less extreme traits, 17 of these have scores of less than 1 for both stature and angularity.”

• CDI generates its lists using the Bull Selector tool. This is available free of charge on its website www.thecdi.co.uk, and allows sire lists to be compiled using any combination of breeding values for different production and type traits.