Genetic Diversity, Base Change, and ABS Sires: A Breakdown of the April 2025 Sire Summary
The April 2025 Genetic Evaluation results underscore ABS Global’s commitment to genetic diversity and strategic breeding practices, showcasing positive movements for key bloodlines and future mating flexibility. These results reflect the lasting impact of our diverse genetic offering, which allows us to meet the unique needs of our customers. The inclusion of U.S. and U.K. base changes and a reformulation of the Net Merit (NM$) further shifts the industry landscape. This blog will delve into three key areas: the base change itself, the significance of genetic diversity, and the standout performance of ABS sires. Let’s explore them in detail.
Base Change: What Does it Mean?
The April 2025 Genetic Evaluation brings with it a recalibration of the genetic base in both the U.S. and U.K.
U.S. Base Change: This is recalibrated every five years, with the U.K. updating annually. Essentially, a base change is a reset of genetic values back to zero, accounting for the progress made over time. Think of it as a report card on the advancement of genetic improvement.
Earlier estimates for the base change predicted a drop of 404 NM$. However, the actual adjustment was 338 NM$, as outlined in the tables below. This base change also influences internal ABS evaluations, such as the ABS Health Index (AHI), which integrates three CDCB traits into its calculations.
Here’s the impact on AHI:
For ABS-marketed Holstein sires (236 bulls): A minor decrease of 0.68 points, with a high correlation of 98.22% to the December 2025 AHI values.
For all ABS sires (8305 bulls): An average decrease of 0.82 points, with an even stronger correlation of 99.19% to their December 2025 AHI values.
These small shifts demonstrate the positive influence of genomic advancements, highlighting ongoing improvements in health traits across the ABS lineup.
Why does it matter?
1. It helps reduce the risk of a sire dramatically reranking or falling in value.
2. It optimizes fertility and improves pregnancy rates by reducing the influence of fertility-related traits.
3. It lowers the chance of uncovering hidden genetic issues, such as harmful haplotypes.
As herd sizes grow and the use of genomic bulls continues to rise, ensuring a broad genetic base is essential. ABS’s focus on diversity gives dairy producers the flexibility they need to meet their specific goals and adapt to future mating decisions.
ABS Sires in the April 2025 Sire Summary: A Strong Showing
ABS Global saw strong performances from key bloodlines, with many sires strengthening their positions and several new sires entering the lineup. This reinforces the effectiveness of our diverse genetic offerings.
U.S. Sire Summary Highlights
HOLSTEINS:
– Leading sires like 29HO19973 BENEFIT, 29HO19964 CASCADE, and 29HO19773 DUFFY added milking daughters and exceeded base change expectations.
– These sires represent 115 dairy bulls currently in production, with an impressive diversity of 51 maternal grandsires.
– ABS claims 25 of the top 30 NM$ heterozygous polled bulls, showcasing our strong polled lineup. – The new Holstein releases trace back to 15 different sires and 17 different maternal grandsires, offering even more diversity.
JERSEYS:
– Despite significant industry shifts, the ABS Jersey lineup continues to perform strongly. Nearly a third of the top 30 JPI and CM$ Jersey sires are ABS-marketed and over a year old.
– ABS holds 18 of the top 25 CM$ bulls on the industry list.
– Notable Jersey highlights include:
– Five sires with CM$ greater than +550
– Six sires with JPI over +165
– Five sires exceeding +1,000 lbs. of milk
– 11 sires with CPF above +85
– 15 udder improvers at +15 JUI and above – New sire launches include 29JE4421 DELL and 29JE4422 DEALER sons, along with sires like 29JE4553 JOSHUA and 29JE4546 TENACITY that enhance daughter fertility and udder traits.
LINEAR CHOICE SIRES:
– Six new sires join the Linear Choice lineup, such as 94HO22212 MARVIN, who combines excellent fat and protein percentages with outstanding type, and 94HO22211 OSCAR, offering strong TPI with solid production traits. – The lineup also features sires like 94HO21866 METEOR RC, a Red Carrier with top Milk and Protein production and strong fertility numbers.
Global Sire Summary Highlights
U.K. HOLSTEINS:
– ABS is well-represented with 6 of the top 10 £PLI bulls, including the top 4 young sires.
– 29HO21534 HARMONY maintains his #1 spot, supported by paternal brothers 29HO21487 COLUMBIA, 29HO21537 ZEST, and 29HO21530 SEGMENT. – ABS has 42 genomic sires in the top 100, showcasing genetic diversity with 27 sires and 28 grandsires.
BRITISH FRIESIANS:
– ABS performs well in the British Friesian rankings, with 5 bulls in the top 10, including 29HO20184 VERITAS at #1.
ITALY:
– 29HO21384 ECBERT holds the #1 spot in Italy, while ODINO enters the list at #3 as a new high-ranking bull.
GERMANY & NORDIC COUNTRIES:
– Germany’s shift to single-step evaluations caused a significant reranking, while in the Nordic countries, 29HO19485 EPISODE remains the top proven sire.
Despite the challenges posed by industry changes, ABS’s diverse and high-performing sire lineup continues to meet global customer needs. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made and look forward to driving continued genetic improvements for dairy producers worldwide. If you’re looking for a partner in genetic success, we are here to help you develop a customized genetic plan that aligns with your specific goals.
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