The new Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) formula can reward a cross-section of bull types and the August index run for Jersey bulls, well illustrates this point.

While two high production sires from North America – Golden GDK Vivaldi and newcomer, CDF Viceroy – move into the first and second positions, it is three, Danish, high health bulls, in the shape of VJ Link, VJ Tudvad and VJ Blanke Jason Janko, which rank third to fifth.

The Ayrshire breed ranking features two newcomers in the first two positions, the first of which is taken by an exceptional production sire. The Viking Red, VR Kuusian Valpas Vimpula has a Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) for milk of more than 900kg, while three further Nordic country bulls feature in the top five. The No 2 bull in the Ayrshire ranking is VR Nivalan Fimbe Faabeli, a bull transmitting high production along with health and fertility.

Amongst the British Friesians, both first and second-ranked bulls, Catlane Caleb and Catlane Cromwell, have held their positions since the previous index run, while third ranking Skyhigh Lord enters the top five for the first time, where he’s the best cell count improver.

Other dairy breed indexes are also published on line (www.ahdb.org.uk), where the Montbeliarde, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Shorthorn and Fleckvieh are all represented.

As with previous index runs, Fern Pearston, genetics manager for AHDB Dairy reminds breeders not to compare one breed’s index against another in the £PLI rankings, as each breed’s figures relate to the average for that breed.