A Holstein heifer calf bred in Northern Ireland is ranked third in the UK for GTPI (2433), and also features in Europe’s top ten.
Prehen Shamrock Lady ET, owned by Stuart Smith, Londonderry, also has a Net Merit (NM$) of 899, which is the highest in the UK, and the second highest in Europe.
Born in September 2012, the high ranking genomic heifer is the result of an embryo from one of the highest scoring branches of the Comestar Laurie Sheik cow family – one of the Holstein breed’s most successful bull producing families ever, with progeny including Outside, Stormatic, Starleader, Lheros, Lee and many more.
Stuart Smith explained:”The heifer is 254 points above parent average for GTPI, and 236 points above PTA for Net Merit (NM$). She is believed to be the No1 NM$ Shamrock daughter in Europe, and the No8 NM$ in the world of all heifers released in January.”
Sired by Ladys Manor PL Shamrock ET, she is bred from Diepenhoek Model Lady 8 – formerly ranked as the sixth highest GTPI Schillview Garrett daughter in Europe. The heifer’s grand dam was a VG87 (2yr) Goldwyn that finished her first lactation with 12,659kgs at 5.0% butterfat and 3.8% protein; while the third dam was the great brood cow, Comestar Model Liza Outside, with already 18 VG daughters in Canada and four superior lactations.
The 120-cow Prehen herd was established in 1974, and is noted for the highly successful Froukje family, which currently has four members listed in the UK’s top 20 for PLI.
Highest ranked as the UK’s No3 with a PLI of £264 is Prehen Justice Froukje VG85 – dam of Prehen Fruition sold to Genus ABS. She is a maternal sister to the December 2011 born Prehen Franco ET PLI £233 – catalogued for sale at next week’s (Feb 6) Holstein NI premier bull show and sale at Moira.
Prehen Franco ET (Lot 17) is the first bull from the Froukje family to be offered for sale at public auction, and with a PLI £233, he is believed to be one of the UK’s highest placed PLI bulls. His dam, Prehen Goldwyn Froukje EX91 is the current No7 PLI cow in the UK, and has been ranked in the top ten for the past two years. She is producing 36kgs daily at 4.93% butterfat and 3.5% protein, and is projected at over 12,300kgs.
Franco is backed by ten generations of VG and EX dams, all of which produced over 4.5% butterfat and 3.5% protein. His grand dam is a former No1 fat and protein cow in the Netherlands.
Stuart Smith added:” Prehen Franco comes from a very complete cow family with top production, type, index and high components. The Froukje family is internationally acclaimed and heavily contracted for bulls and embryos.”
Source: Holstein UK