The April 2025 genetic evaluations for Holstein sires have been released, bringing significant changes in rankings and genetic values compared to December 2024. The most notable aspect is implementing a genetic base change, which has recalibrated all values and substantially impacted the rankings throughout the top 100 TPI list.
Top Rankings Remain Stable Despite Base Change
GENOSOURCE CAPTAIN-ET TR TE maintains his #1 position with an impressive 3441G TPI, up from 3336 in December. Similarly, SDG CAP GARZA-ET MW TC holds steady at #2 with 3418 (previously 3256). These elite sires demonstrate exceptional genetic merit that transcends the base change adjustment.
However, significant reshuffling occurred throughout the remainder of the top 10:
- STGEN COWEN THORSON-ET TR TE emerged as #3 with 3389
- TERRA-CALROY ZURI-ET TR TP claimed #4 with 3348
- PLAIN-KNOLL RENEGAD TROOPER TR, previously #3, dropped to #8 despite gaining 75 TPI points
Production Trait Adjustments
The base change has resulted in numerical decreases in production trait values despite increases in overall TPI. For example, GENOSOURCE CAPTAIN-ET shows milk production of 1872 in April 2025 compared to 2542 in December 2024, a reduction of 670 points. Similar patterns appear across fat and protein values for most bulls.
This adjustment doesn’t reflect a decrease in genetic potential but recalibrates values against the current population baseline.
Health and Conformation Shifts
Health traits show mixed changes, with most elite bulls experiencing slight deterioration in SCS values and decreased Productive Life (PL) evaluations. For instance, GENOSOURCE CAPTAIN-ET’s PL decreased from 5.0 to 3.7.
Conformation traits also show significant recalibration, with CAPTAIN’s PTAT decreasing from 1.11 to 0.28 and UDC dropping from 1.65 to 0.83. This suggests a potential shift toward more moderate type values rather than extremes in the new evaluation system.
New Entries and Notable Movements
Several bulls made remarkable debuts or significant movements:
- GENOSOURCE CAP LEVOY-ET TE TC entered the top 10 at #9 (3257)
- RMD-DOTTERER SSI GAMEDAY-ET TR climbed into the top 10 (3253)
- GENOSOURCE CAPN MCGUIRE-ET TE fell dramatically from #5 to #43 (3160)
- DELICIOUS H-NOON TAMPA-ET TR TE dropped from #9 to #49 (3153)
Genetic Diversity Considerations
The April 2025 list reveals significant concentration within certain sire lines, with multiple “CAP” prefix bulls (CAPTAIN sons) occupying top positions. This concentration highlights the rapid genetic progress possible with genomic selection but raises potential inbreeding concerns.
The genetic base change implemented in April 2025 represents a significant Holstein genetic evaluation system recalibration. While absolute TPI values have increased across the board, the relative changes in rankings and trait evaluations suggest a potential shift in emphasis toward more balanced trait profiles rather than extremes in any single category.
Breeding programs should carefully evaluate these changes as they integrate the new evaluations into their genetic selection decisions.
Top 100 TPI® International Bulls
