Shropshire Star

Our new index will help cattle breeders

We have developed a new Autumn Calving Index (£ACI) to help producers breed cattle suited to autumn block calving systems.

Published
Marco Winters, Head of Animal Genetics, AHDB Dairy

Emphasising herd fertility and milk volume, £ACI takes into account the costs of feeding for winter milk production and the higher milk price per litre received.

Using either £ACI or the existing Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) or Spring Calving Index (£SCI), farmers can now make bespoke breeding decisions aligned with their calving pattern.

The index has been developed in response to demand from farmers and the industry and is also a reflection of the slight increase across the UK in autumn block calving.

The difference between the three indexes is subtle but we believe the new £ACI will fulfil the requirements of those autumn block calving producers who feel they need a more bespoke index.

However, for the herds which calve throughout the year, the £PLI remains their recommended index. And farmers who have a split calving block in spring and autumn may be best advised to use the respective seasonal index when breeding each block.

Our focus on calving patterns is a key part of our optimal dairy systems programme, which is helping farmers lower costs and increase efficiencies by focusing on all year round or block calving.

Like the existing £PLI and £SCI, the new £ACI represents the additional profit a bull is expected to transmit to his daughters, on average, compared with a bull whose index is zero.

And like the £SCI (but unlike £PLI), it is an across-breed index so it will be of particular benefit to autumn calving producers who are using more than one breed.

Whatever index is favoured – whether £PLI, £SCI or £ACI – it is always recommended for use as an initial ranking tool for dairy sires. After that, producers should ideally drill down and look at the index’s individual components to improve the traits most important in their own herds.

This can be done by any producer on the AHDB website, where bull lists can be re-ranked by producers on any published trait.

Please visit the genetics and breeding section at dairy.ahdb.org.uk for sire lists. Farmers who milk record can also apply for their Herd Genetic Report on the website, allowing them to monitor their own herds’ genetic improvement.

Marco Winters, Head of Animal Genetics, AHDB Dairy