Peak AltaValuePack
Taking the lead with a Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) of £877, Peak AltaValuepack by Peak Excitement claims the top spot thanks to a well-balanced profile featuring strong health traits.
These contribute to a high HealthyCow rating of £203, meaning it is predicted to transmit £203-worth of health and fertility benefits on average to its daughters; a favourable Maintenance Index of -17, indicating daughters will require less feed for maintenance; and solid Predicted Transmitting Abilities (PTAs) for production, including +0.17% fat and +0.10% protein.
With a PLI of £876, Denovo 20771 Segment by Leeds, edges up to second position, with a Calf Survival rating of +2.6.
Number one sire from the previous ranking, Denovo 20893 Harmony, is now in third position (PLI £875). Harmony continues to excel in PTAs for weight of milk (1116kg), fat (54.6kg) and protein (41.3kg), as well as feed efficiency (-28 Maintenance, 294 Feed Advantage (FAdv) and retains the highest score for EnviroCow (+5).
Progenesis Preston is in fourth with a PLI of £862, delivering high milk solids (54.3kg fat, 41.5kg protein), while fifth ranking Denovo 20723 Columbia (PLI £856), is one of the highest yield transmitters passing on 1135kg milk and, like its sire, Leeds, has a strong Fadv. At 237, this means its daughters will save 237kg of dry matter intake during each lactation.
Marco Winters, head of animal genetics, AHDB, said: "It is encouraging to see such good stability among the top 20 £PLI sires in AHDB's latest analysis, with several bulls maintaining strong positions and some exciting new entries offering fresh genetics. This gives farmers a robust and diverse selection to build into their breeding plans for the upcoming season."
Top Holstein genomic young sires by PLI
1 Peak Altavaluepack £877
2 Denovo 20771 Segment £876
3 Denovo 20893 Harmony £875
4 Progenesis Preston £862
5 Denovo 20723 Columbia £856
6 Badger Siemers Day Trip £855
=7 Denovo 22192 Sector-P £853
=7 Adaway Beyond El Foughty £853
9 Adaway Beyond Fitness £851
10 Denovo 0478 Colter P £845
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Six new sires enter top 10 proven £PLI ranking
Six new daughter-proven sires graduate into the top 10 ranking for Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI). These Holstein bulls move up from the genomic young bull rankings and now demonstrate, through their daughters, how they can contribute to improving health, fertility and production efficiency across UK herds.
The top four positions are occupied by newcomers, with OCD Trooper Sheepster leading the way. With a PLI of £779, Sheepster has strong Predicted Transmitting Abilities (PTAs) for production, (47.8kg fat, 35.7kg protein) alongside a lifespan improvement of +113 days.
New in second position is Peak AltaSeverus (PLI £757), transmitting outstanding daughter fertility (+12.8) and an excellent ability to lower cell counts and mastitis (-25 SCC, -1 Mastitis).
SDG-PH Delux Dominance (PLI £741) ranks third, offering a short gestation length (-4 days) and good calf survival (+2.8). In fourth place is the high fat (+0.33%) Winstar Maserati (PLI £728), whose strong daughter Fertility Index (+9.6) contributes to a HealthyCow of £215.
With more than 2,000 UK milking daughters now in its production proof, former long-term frontrunner, Genosource Captain, holds fifth place (PLI £723), ranking highly for feed cost-saving traits, including Maintenance (-28) and Feed Advantage (+255).
Top 10 Holstein bulls with a daughter proof ranked on PLI
1 OCD Trooper Sheepster £779
2 Peak Altaseverus £757
3 SDG-PH Delux Dominance £741
4 Winstar Masarati P £728
5 Genosource Captain £723
6 Plain-Knoll Renegad Trooper £715
7 Progenesis Wesson £712
8 Denovo 17579 GIP £701
=9 Denovo 16767 Pinedale £698
=9 Winstar Graziano £698
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Vikings excel at top of the Jersey rankings
In the AHDB Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) rankings for the Jersey breed, VJ Outrup Luxi Luxplus (PLI £472) climbs into number one position, combining solid production (226kg milk, 46.1kg fat plus protein) with an EnviroCow score of +2.9 which makes it one of the most environmentally efficient Jersey sires available. This bull also excels when compared across breeds, as does the number two Jersey, VJ Ravninggaard Huus Hamlet (PLI £443). Hamlet rises from fourth to second position, thanks to standout health and fertility traits. This includes a daughter Fertility Index of +16.8 and a HealthyCow of £232, supported by data from 519 UK daughters.
Ayrshire
The new Ayrshire leader is VR Wehmais Vimo Vehmaa (PLI £560) which combines solid production, particularly for fat (35.2kg, +0.36%), with strong health and fertility, resulting in a HealthyCow of £175.
Holding second is VR Hakvin (PLI £521), the breed leader for both Lifespan Index (+109 days) and EnviroCow (+3.3) which offers impressive production at 436kg milk and 53.7kg fat plus protein.
Friesian
In the Friesian ranking, Inch Next (PLI £316) retains the top spot, with exceptional production (296kg milk, 28.4 kg fat plus protein), solid lifespan (+58 days), and the best EnviroCow in the breed at +1.9.
In second place is Bloemplaat Hoeve Ewoud (PLI £287), a consistent performer at 12.7kg fat and 10.5kg protein, with strong udder health (SCC -11), and a good daughter Fertility Index of +6.7.
In the Friesian genomic young sire rankings, Goonhilly Coverack leads with a PLI of £320, combining good milk components (+0.14% fat, +0.11% protein) with strong health and a high daughter Fertility Index of +3.9.
Other breeds
Other dairy breed indexes are published online (ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/dairy-breeding-and-genetics), where the Montbéliarde, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Shorthorn and Fleckvieh are all represented.
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Clean sweep by AltaSeverus for seasonal calving herds
Exceptional daughter health and high-quality milk production have earned the newly proven bull, Peak AltaSeverus, number one position for both seasonal calving indexes – Autumn Calving Index (£ACI) and Spring Calving Index (£SCI).
An ACI of £733 and an SCI of £599 reflect the suitability of AltaSeverus' daughters for block calving herds, whether winter-housed and with higher concentrate intakes or whether calving in spring and with production based largely on grazing. AltaSeverus stands alongside several other new entrants in the £ACI ranking, the second of which, Winstar Maserati, has similar transmitting qualities including desirable daughter lifespan and fertility. Its ACI is £714.
Holding third place is Winstar Graziano (ACI £705), known for excellent milk components and SCC.
The £SCI rankings are tightly contested, and just one point behind Peak AltaSeverus, who excels in weight of milk solids and udder health, including a standout SCC rating is Winstar Graziano (SCI £598). This consistent performer also excels for SCC and fat and protein production. Denovo Invictus is at number three with an SCI of £589, transmitting exceptional fertility and maintenance and now with 2,997 UK milking daughters.
Top 10 bulls ranked on £SCI
1 Peak Altaseverus (Holstein) £599
2 Winstar Graziano (Holstein) £598
3 Denovo Invictus (Holstein) £589
4 Winstar Maserati P (Holstein) £587
5 VJ Ravninggaard Huus Hamlet (Jersey) £582
6 Denovo 17118 Provo (Holstein) £581
7 Denovo 16767 Pinedale (Holstein) £576
8 VJ Outrup Luxi Luxplus DJHB (Jersey) £574
9 Denovo Adderley (Holstein) £560
10 Winstar Mendel P (Holstein) £553
Top 10 bulls ranked on £ACI
1 Peak Altaserverus (Holstein) £733
2 Winstar Maserati P (Holstein) £714
3 Winstar Graziano (Holstein) £705
4 Denovo 16767 Pinedale (Holstein) £677
5 Denovo Invictus (Holstein) £675
6 Denovo 17118 Provo (Holstein) £670
7 Peak Rainow (Holstein) £664
8 OCD Trooper Sheepster (Holstein) £662
=9 Peak Mauney (Holstein) £657
=9 SDG-PH Delux Dominance £657
