Today’s dairy industry demands more than single trait selection or industry favorites. To maximise your milk cheque, minimise expenses, and optimise Beef-on-Dairy production, a genetic plan tailored to your herd and goals is required. That’s when you’ll drive real profitability through measurable genetic progress.
As herd goals diversify and production systems evolve, success comes from leveraging the impact balanced sires have on improving longevity, health, fertility, milk production, and profitability, without sacrificing genetic diversity. At Genus ABS, the focus remains clear: helping you profit from genetic progress by building the right cows for your system.
Drive real profit with balanced sires
The classic comparison of a sprinter and a marathon runner can be easily used to describe dairy cows. A sprinter delivers intense productivity in short bursts, while a marathon runner maintains a steady, reliable output over time. While the sprinter’s speed and power are impressive, it’s the marathon runner who ultimately lasts the longest.
Balanced cows are designed to stay productive over time, combining solid milk production with the fertility, health, and longevity needed to remain in the herd long enough to generate a true return on investment, like a marathon runner. Genetics solely selected for high levels of fat and protein production are sprinters with potentially other weaknesses that lead to early culling before their optimum return on investment is met.
The framework for a profitable cow includes a balance of Production, Lifespan, Daughter Fertility, Lameness advantage and health traits such as Somatic Cell Count. At Genus ABS, the objective isn’t to create “sprinter” cows that excel briefly and leave the herd early. Our goal is to deliver marathon cows that perform consistently across multiple lactations, helping to drive overall profitability.
Genus ABS balanced sires produce cows built for the long-haul—delivering profitability and not only short-term gains.
April 2026 base change update
The April base change has prompted plenty of discussion, with milk, fat, protein, PLI and type figures all appearing to fall. On paper, it can look like a step backwards, however, in reality, it’s a reflection of how far the industry has come.
Each year, the UK updates its genetic baseline to keep it aligned with the current national herd. Rather than comparing today’s animals to those from several years ago, they are measured against a much stronger and more productive population. As a result, figures shift. Changes such as -30kg milk, -2.2kg fat, -1.8kg protein and -£41 PLI don’t indicate a drop in performance, they show that the average cow is now delivering more than ever before.
What previously stood out as above average has effectively become the new benchmark.
So, while the numbers may appear lower, the underlying message is positive. Genetic progress continues at pace, and the base change simply resets the scale to reflect that advancement.
AHDB’s Genetic base change – April 2026
Another successful proof run for Genus ABS
This proof run once again highlights the strength and consistency of the Genus ABS breeding programme, with 39 of the top 100 £PLI sires carrying the Genus ABS name.
Leading our genomic line-up is Denovo LORENZO, now the number one genomic Holstein sire on the AHDB rankings, underlining the continued progress being made within our genetic programme.
Alongside this genomic success, our proven sires continue to deliver dependable, long-term value. Denovo ORCHARD, one of our top-selling genomic sires in recent years, has transitioned strongly into the proven rankings and now sits at number five.
Importantly, this success is also underpinned by exceptional genetic diversity. Within our 39 of the top 100 £PLI sires, 39 are sired by 21 different sires, with only two having more than three sons represented, alongside 17 different maternal grandsires. This breadth of pedigree ensures sustainable genetic progress for our customers, while reducing reliance on narrow bloodlines.
UK Holstein sire summary highlights
This proof run delivers a strong line-up of our UK Holstein sires, bringing together production, efficiency and type to support balanced, profitable cows.
- DENOVO 6856 HOTSHOT is a standout Shadow × Perfect-P son, excelling for production with +51.6 kg Fat and +38.6 kg Protein. He combines this with an impressive Feed Advantage of 191 and a strong EnviroCow score of 4.6, delivering efficiency without compromise.
- JBTOULLEC Vilson*RC is an exciting new red carrier offering +772 kg Milk. With a strong pedigree, he adds width (Rump Width +1.78) and produces daughters with openness (Angularity +2.87), style (Type Merit +2.15) and excellent locomotion (+1.93).
- DENOVO 21719 VUITTON is an exciting genomic addition, offering a well-balanced package for modern dairy systems. With a strong £798 PLI and +692 kg Milk, he combines solid production with key health and efficiency traits, including +5.8 Daughter Fertility, +82 days Lifespan and a Feed Advantage of 154. Backed by a sire stack of ERAGON × VENOM and carrying the A2/A2 profile, VUITTON delivers the kind of balanced performance that supports long-lasting, profitable cows without compromising genetic diversity.
- DENOVO HOAGIE-P is a versatile sire that fits seamlessly across a wide range of breeding objectives. With £780 PLI and +850 kg Milk, he delivers strong production alongside +45.9 kg Fat and +33.2 kg Protein. HOAGIE-P combines this with balanced udder traits and improved teat length, supporting functional, easy-to-manage cows. As a heterozygous polled sire, he also offers both performance and practicality.
Exciting new releases
This proof run also introduces a number of exciting new additions to the line-up, offering further choice across a range of breeding objectives.
- ABS CARNIVAL, from the renowned Candy family at Penn-England, is designed to moderate stature while improving udder quality and maintaining production. He offers over 140 days additional lifespan, alongside a lameness advantage of over 2.5, supporting healthier, longer-lasting cows.
- Bomaz HELLENBRAND, a new addition to the Linear Choice line-up and sired by T-Spruce Harmony, combines positive type (1.3) and excellent mammary (1.4) with a negative stature. This makes him well suited to producing more efficient, functional cows without compromising on udder quality.
Friesian sire summary highlights
It has been another strong proof run for our Friesian programme, with Genus ABS continuing to lead the way. We are home to 12 of the top 20 genomic Friesian sires, reinforcing our position at the forefront of UK Friesian genetics.
This success is built on a foundation of genetic diversity. Within the top 20, there are 11 different sires and 8 maternal grandsires represented, ensuring farmers have access to a broad, balanced and sustainable range of Friesian genetics.
At the top of the rankings, Goonhilly Coverack retains his position as the number one genomic Friesian sire at £323 PLI.
Among the next generation, Pritch Coverman, a son of Coverack, sits at number four with £300 PLI. Meanwhile, Balcairn Joey with £154 PLI, offers a well-rounded profile and adds further depth to our line-up.
With leading sires, diverse pedigrees and promising young genetics entering the rankings, the Genus ABS Friesian portfolio continues to deliver long-term value and sustainable progress for UK dairy farmers.
US Holstein sire summary highlights
- 29HO20684 LEEDS is the #10 proven NM$ bull now with 168 milking daughters in his proof and went up for Milk to a huge 2187 lbs and up 12 NM$ points to $1002.
- This is great news for all his sons in production and females in our Denovo genetic nucleus.
- 29HO20911 MONTANA added milking daughters and went up 53 points for NM$ and for Milk to 1816 pounds and is a +0.59 for udders.
- His popular sons, 29HO21668 BILLINGS and 29HO21641 MYSTERY, also went up for NM$ and Milk.
- For polled sires, ABS continue to dominate with 12 of the top 30 NM$ P bulls on the industry list with a stud code.
*Please note that not all sires are available in all regions. Contact your local Genus ABS Sales and Breeding Advisor to find out more.
As we close another proof run, one thing is clear: no matter where you are in the world, Genus ABS offers the genetics, tools, programs, and people needed to profit from genetic progress. We stand behind you, helping you maximise your milk cheque, reduce day-to-day challenges, and boost additional revenue from Beef-on-Dairy production through a genetic plan tailored for your herd.
To find out how you can profit from genetic progress, contact your local Genus ABS Sales and Breeding Advisor today.
