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PROFITABLE LIFETIME INDEX (£PLI) FOR THE JERSEY BREED
As a UK genetic index, the £PLI has been developed on the back of millions of British cow records, which have been used to identify the traits most strongly linked to overall profitability and to identify bulls which transmit these characteristics on to their daughters. The £PLI has become a widely used and respected tool. Clearly proven to relate to actual profitability on the farm.
AHDB Dairy
The £PLI is calculated using a number of traits weighted by their relative economic value. These traits fall into the following trait groups; production, fertility, survival, udder health, leg health and efficiency. They are each weighted according to their relative influence on lifetime profitability.
The £PLI value represents the additional profit a high £PLI bull is expected to return from each of its milking daughters over her lifetime compared to an average bull of £0 PLI. The £PLI index has about 34% weighting on production traits and a 66% weighting on fitness traits.
The index has been developed as an initial screening tool to ensure bulls used on farm meet a broad level of genetic merit. It is then recommended specific emphasis is placed on the management traits that require attention on individual farms.
