Floris the top UK owned bull rises to third place
Floris the top UK owned bull rises to third place
OVER one-third of the top 100 Holstein Friesian bulls with a UK proof, as published this week by the Animal Data Centre, are UK owned, including over half of the top 15.
Top UK owned bull is Blackstar son Kolhorner Floris, bought from Holland as a calf by Supersires. Floris moves up from outside the top 10 to third in the rankings with an ITEM of £107.
Above Floris on the list is US sire Mascot, maintaining his pole position, with £135 ITEM; and in second place and also from the US is Southwind.
The next three bulls, however, are UK-owned and from Genuss Sire Improvement Programme (GSIP) which boasts 40 of the top 100 sires in the latest rankings.
Fourth is the Cleitus son MOET Elsas Crewman, but he is not marketed in the UK because he is a difficult calving sire.
Top newcomer, in at number five, is Genus Pathfinder, said to be the top Blackstar son on production. But he falls down on udder attachment, and with a UK type merit of 0.51 will not be marketed.
For the same reason the newcomer Sire Marke Acclaim, a high production Sunny Boy son is unlikely to be available, says Genus sire analyst James Simpson.
Most promising newcomer, in 12th position, is MOET Jenny Ensign, by the US sire Applenotch Rotate Rambo and out of a Ned Boy cow. It is one of three newcomers Genus will market with £98 PIN.
The others are the UKs first UK proven Mascot son, Covista Arctic Mascot, at number 20; and Leadman son Genus Melville, at 27.
Arctic Mascot, out of a Cleitus dam, has a UK type merit of 1.47. "He is plus on foot angle which is an advantage for a Mascot son," says Mr Simpson.
Highest newcomer on type is Southwind son Genus Moorcroft, out of Mascots dam Jackbuilt Chairman Mandy. His ITEM is £90.
Highest climber of this August evaluation is the Dutch sire Nord-kap, no longer marketed. He moves up from 38th position to seventh place after adding an extra 2000 daughters to his production proof.
Other bulls performing well are US bulls Oscar and Force, in the top 10, and Gilbrook Grand (£101 ITEM), Sunny Boy (£99), Valiant Rockie (£99), Cleitus (£98), Ugela Bell (£98), Vic Kai (£97).
Top 10 Holstein Friesian bulls with UK proofs ranked
on ITEM index (Aug 97)
BullRelMilkFatFatProtProtPIN ITEM
(%)(kg)(kg)(%)(kg)(%)(£)(£)
Mascot98122331-0.2938-0.03135135
Southwind9982828-0.1028+0.01103109
Floris91105334-0.1530-0.06111107
Crewman85108433-0.1728-0.1299106
Pathfinder8381234+0.0229+0.04113106
Acclaim8684245+0.1628+0.02116106
Nordkap9996831-0.1330-0.03110105
Bell Jurist9792936-0.0428-0.04106104
Oscar91103328-0.2229-0.06105104
Chief Force94109034-0.1729-0.10103103
Daughter of Kolhorner Floris.no 3.