JERSEY bulls remain the leaders in the ranking for spring-calving index (£SCI), published recently by AHDB Dairy, reinforcing the breed’s suitability for producing high quality milk cost effectively in grazing-based, spring-calving systems. 
However, it is the Holstein breed which also excels in the ranks, taking two of the top five positions. 
Maintaining its top place is the existing front-runner, the Danish Jersey, VJ Tester, a son of DJ Topholm. This bull’s exceptional components of +0.53 fat and 0.18% protein, together with daughter fertility (FI) of +13.9, is a low maintenance sire with lower feed costs and low cell counts (SCC -13) with an SCI of £452. 
Standing stable in second position is the British bull, VJ Link, with an SCI of £441. By Hollylane Lilbets Legacy, this bull maintains his impressive transmission of fat of 10kg or 0.35%. With a long daughter lifespan of +0.7 and FI +41, Link has extremely low maintenance costs (-62). 
Moving up from fifth place and into third is another Viking Jersey, this time VJ Hilario with an SCI of £430. With a similar breeding pattern to the lead place, this sire transmits quality milk, health, fertility and efficiency. 
Featuring in fourth and fifth position are father and son, Kings-Ransom Erdman (SCI £421) and United-Pride Erdman Evan (SCI £419), which also stand in the top two positions when ranked on profitable lifetime index (£PLI) in the Holstein breed rankings. 
These two bulls both have indexes which feature a high volume of milk on the across-breed base, and high weights of fat and protein. As well as their transmission of low cell counts, together with relatively low maintenance costs and high fertility for their breed, this makes them efficient producers of milk for many breeders.
Commenting on the new indexes, Marco Winters, head of animal genetics for AHDB Dairy says: “This is the only UK breeding index which is expressed across breeds, so enabling UK dairy producers to accurately compare bulls of one breed against another. 
“Many types of bull are capable of featuring among the front runners, and the new top five – comprising three milk quality improvers and two higher milk volume Holsteins – indicate the wide selection of bloodlines from which grazing-based producers can successfully make their selections.