The ranking for daughter-proven Holstein bulls has a new front-runner, in the shape of Larcrest Commend, a bull that made his first appearance as a genomic young sire in 2015 and now has a Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) of £777.

This Balisto son confirms his high Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) for milk quality, with fat and protein at +0.22% and +0.11% respectively. As more daughters have come into milk, he has also inched upwards for milk volume while continuing to demonstrate a good Lameness Advantage (+2.7).

Weigeline Jacey Tabasco has moved up from fifth to second (PLI £734) with high PTAs for milk (+1054kg) and protein (+34.5 kg), while Mocon, which led the way in the previous index run, now ranks third, with a PLI of £726 and an exceptional daughter Lifespan Index of +0.8.

With 180 UK daughters contributing to his production figures, Hoanster Zanzibar moves into the top 10 with a PLI of £708 and an great daughter Fertility Index of +16.3.

Cookiecutter Harper remains in the top five (PLI £694) with high protein numbers (+30.0kg and +0.09%) while S-S-I Headway Alltime shares the same £PLI and shows excellent udder health transmission, including low mastitis (-4) and somatic cell counts (-29).

Another familiar name ranks seventh, in Co-op Robust Cabriolet, whose PLI is £691. Now with more than 400 UK daughters contributing to his production figures, he transmits good milk fat quality (+0.16%), a reduction in feed costs for maintenance (-19) and strong maternal calving ease (+2.4). This means his daughters are expected to become easy calvers. Cabriolet’s own Calf Survival score is also impressive at +4.8 and he has the best Lameness Advantage of the top 10 proven sires (+4.2).

Moving up into eighth position is Teemar Shamrock Alphabet (PLI £681), a calving ease sire (both direct and maternal) with outstanding daughter fertility (+20.5) and lifespan (+0.8).

Another climber, EDG Rubicon, moves into ninth and becomes the highest kg fat transmitter on the available bull list at 46.5kg. Rubicon also leads the top 10 £PLI sires for Type Merit, at +3.36.

Finally, in 10th position is View-Home Littlerock, which featured in the top 10 in August.

Marco Winters, head of animal genetics with AHDB Dairy, added: “It’s fantastic to see so many high daughter fertility sires at the top of these rankings and a testament to the breeding companies which have been strongly selecting for this all-important trait.

“The power of genetics in improving traits of economic importance is well documented, and the impact of improved genetics to the performance of the national herd is unquestionable. With ever-increasing knowledge on other important health and welfare traits, including relatively new Lameness Advantage, producers are advised to pay attention to the cross-section of health and welfare traits when they select their mating sires.”