Sons of leading US Holsteins Freddie (Badger-Bluff Fanny Freddie, No.1 in the most recent US TPI rankings) and Super (Charlesdale Superstition, No.4 in US TPI rankings) feature in new UK genomic indices released as part of the April 2012 proof run.

Freddie has never been available in the UK for health reasons, but his ET progeny are highly sought after. Amongst the Freddie sons on the new UK genomic listing is De-Su Freddie DENIM, with a £210 PLI, an excellent somatic cell count reduction figure of -23 and outstanding Lifespan at +0.5.Denim is third ranked Holstein for daughter fertility in the genomic listings, alongside another Freddie son, Co-op Freddie GILL. Welcome GERVASE, a further Freddie son with over £200PLI, has 608kgs Milk with 47kgs Fat & Protein.

Minnigan-Hills DAY leads the way amongst sons of Super, offering the second highest combination of Type Merit and £PLI, with a TM of 3.55 and £179PLI. Also with high Type Merit, at 3.28 – with Mammary at 3.21 and Feet & Legs at 2.1 – is Eildon-Tweed Super CHAP. This Super son excels in production too, with 678kgs Milk and 41.6kgs Fat & Protein.

These sons of Freddie and Super are available in the UK from Bullsemen.com, which is in partnership with leading US breeding co-operative CRI.

“CRI has led the way in genomics in the United States and so has a lot to offer UK dairy farmers now that the system has been adopted over here,” says Bullsemen.com managing director Nick Kirby.

“Super is a good example of the progress made and the opportunities that now exist. A Boliver son and O-Bee Manfred Justice grandson, he has been used internationally as a sire of sons for several years. An all rounder with outstanding production and type proofs, Super was one of the first top sires with sufficient daughter numbers to allow comparisons to be made between their genomic and progeny-based figures.

“With availability of official genomic proofs, and sufficient confidence in the system, sons of bulls of the calibre of Super and Freddie – who has himself never been available in the UK – are an exciting proposition.”