The April 2025 genetic evaluations for Scandinavian Holstein bulls have been released, showcasing significant movements in both proven and genomic sire categories. This evaluation period brings several notable changes to the Nordic Total Merit (NTM) rankings, with emerging stars and consistent performers shaping the landscape of Holstein genetics.
Proven Sire Rankings
PEAK RAINOW-ET has solidified his position at the top of the proven sire list with an impressive NTM of 38, showing continued improvement from his December 2024 evaluation. His exceptional profile combines high milk yield (+127) with outstanding daughter fertility (+119) and strong udder health (+99), making him a balanced choice for breeders focused on both production and fitness traits.
The episode has emerged as a newcomer to the elite rankings, securing the second position with an NTM of 35. His exceptional yield scores (+138), coupled with good growth (+115) and solid general health (+109), demonstrate the continued emphasis on production efficiency in the Scandinavian breeding program.
Metro rounds out the top three proven sires with an NTM of 30. Although his December evaluation showed a slight decline, he maintained strong yield (+133) and good udder health (+106) metrics.
Genomic Sire Highlights
In the genomic rankings, VH Crown leads the pack with an outstanding NTM of 42. This showcases exceptional milk yield potential (+145) combined with strong fertility (+121) and robust longevity (+112). This represents a 2-point improvement since the December evaluations, further cementing his position as the genomic leader.
GAGA-ET follows in second place with an NTM of 40, demonstrating particular strength in protein yield (+125) along with good udder health (+110) and productive life (+108) scores.
VH Gatsby completes the top three genomic sires with an NTM of 39, offering breeders a balanced profile with strong conformation traits and fertility improvements.
Emerging Trends
The April 2025 evaluations highlight several key trends in Scandinavian Holstein breeding:
- Production traits dominate the rankings, with exceptional milk yield scores becoming increasingly common among top bulls. Many leading sires show yield scores above +125, reflecting the industry’s continued focus on production efficiency.
- Fertility remains a critical selection criterion, with top bulls like PEAK RAINOW-ET (+119) and VH Crown (+121) demonstrating that high production can be achieved without sacrificing reproductive performance.
- Genomic reliability values show steady improvement, with reliability scores averaging above 70%, indicating increased confidence in genomic predictions for future performance.
- The gap between proven and genomic evaluations continues to narrow, with genomic sires like VH Crown showing NTM values that exceed even the top proven bulls by 4 points.
As dairy producers analyze these April 2025 evaluations, the data suggests a continued emphasis on balanced breeding goals that combine production efficiency with functional traits. The strong performance of newcomers and established sires indicates healthy genetic progress in the Scandinavian Holstein population.
