Dairy breeding and genetics
Welcome to AHDB's new dairy breeding and genetics website
April 2026 proof run
£SCI Update
The Spring Calving Index has undergone an important update to make it more relevant for grazing-based herds.
Although the formula for £SCI will not change substantively – continuing to reward high-quality milk, fertility, health, functional type and efficiency – a penalty will now be introduced for high-production daughters that have a high energy demand. Read the AHDB article about the new £SCI | AHDB.
Press releases
- Leading proven Holstein sires deliver high kilos of milk solids | AHDB
- High health from new tranche of top Holstein sires | AHDB
- Health and efficiency improve across dairy breeds | AHDB
- Bulls ranked on new £SCI show production efficiency | AHDB
Base change
As usual, each April official proof run, the four-year window that we use to calculate each breeds' average is updated. More information and other proof run documentation can be found in our Resources section.
Dairy genetics help predict how characteristics such as milk production, increased solids or health and management traits are passed onto the next generation of cows.
The effect of breeding decisions is cumulative, meaning they build over the generations and have a key role to play in farm profitability.
Use our resources to make informed and profitable breeding decisions.
