Dairy producers have asked for a better way to rank Holstein sires that create cows which excel in commercial conditions. In answer, Genex Cooperative, Inc. has delivered the Ideal Commercial Cow (ICC) index. This new sire index addresses commercial producers’ needs by putting greater emphasis on longevity, health, and optimal body size and condition without sacrificing yield and udder traits.
“The Ideal Commercial Cow index is probably the largest step forward we have seen in meeting the commercial producers’ needs,” comments Don Bennink of North Florida Holsteins, Bell, Florida. “The index really looks at the characteristics commercial producers, those making a living from their dairy herd, need from their cattle for maximum profit.”
The ICC index was released with the August sire summary. Based on August proof data, the top Genex sires creating cows for commercial conditions include: 1HO11056 TROY, 1HO11097 MAGNATE, 1HO11511 TAMPA, 1HO08784 FREDDIE, 1HO11426 TUFFENUFF, 1HO11545 LAWMAN, 1HO10890 ADRIAN, 1HO11528 EMERALD, 1HO11316 GEMSTONE and 1HO11541 STAMINA.
These top 10 ICC bulls average +$983 ICC and +$848 Lifetime Net Merit. In further analyzing their genetic averages, these sires combine production (+1533 Milk and +125 combined Fat and Protein) with elite health traits: +6.4 Productive Life, +1.9 Daughter Pregnancy Rate and 6.8% Sire Calving Ease. At the same time, they transmit moderate stature (+1.4) and improve udder traits (+2.39 Udder Composite).
In addition to the ICC value, Genex published five ICC sub-indexes providing dairy producers the opportunity to emphasize genetic selection for specific areas of farm management. These areas include production, health, fertility and fitness, milking ability and calving ability.
To learn more about the ICC index and sub-indexes and view ICC rankings on all bulls industry-wide, visit genex.crinet.com/ICC.