News

Results from August 2025 evaluation run for dairy breeds published

The new breeding values were published 12th of Augustl 2025. Like with every genetic evaluation run the base for breeding values was updated. The breeding values were estimated with Single-Step. Starting in August, breeding values for calf revenue and calf weight will be published for Beef-on-Dairy bulls for the first time.


Beef-on-Dairy: New breeding values

In August 2025, there will be important innovations in breeding value estimation for "Beef-on-Dairy" (BoD). Alongside a new base for calving breeding values, breeding values for calf weight and calf sales revenue will also be published for the first time. This will allow dairy farmers to select BoD bulls even more precisely to suit their own herd.


Genetic evaluation on a European level: The launch of EBE

A New Era for Europe’s Cattle Breeding. With the establishment of European Bovine Evaluation (EBE), the development of a joint European genetic evaluation system starts. This ambitious endeavor sets new standards in cattle breeding.


Results from April 2025 evaluation run for dairy breeds published

The new breeding values were published 1st of April 2025. Like with every genetic evaluation run the base for breeding values was updated. For the first time the breeding values were estimated with Single-Step.


Results from December 2024 evaluation run for dairy breeds published

Like scheduled the new breeding values were published 2024 December 3rd. The breeding value base was adjusted accordingly. For the first time results for the Holstein Haplotyp 7 (HH7) will be reported.


Results from August 2024 evaluation run for dairy breeds published

Like scheduled the new breeding values were published 2024 August 13th. The breeding value base was adjusted accordingly.


Results from April 2024 evaluation run for dairy breeds published

Like scheduled the new breeding values were published 2024 April 3th. Like with every April run the base for breeding values was updated. For the first time the new breeding value feed efficiency (RZFeedEfficiency, RZFE) is published.


Genetic evaluation results December 2023 dairy breeds published

On 9th August results from genetic evaluation August 2022 for dairy breeds were published.


1,000,000 German Holstein females genotyped within herd genotyping

With the weekly genomic evaluation of August 29th, the threshold of 1,000,000 genotyped female Holsteins across 2,159 German dairy herds within the herd genotyping program was crossed.


Genetic evaluation results August 2023 dairy breeds published

On 9th August results from genetic evaluation August 2022 for dairy breeds were published.


Results from April 2023 evaluation run for dairy breeds published

Like scheduled the new breeding values for dairy breeds were published 2023 April 4th. Beside the yearly shift of base (for impact see below “News from dairy evaluation”) for the first-time breeding values are published for persistency (the RZPersistenz) and 3 new linear conformation traits (Rib Structure, Front Feet Orientation, Udder Balance).


Vit genetic evaluation successful re-certified by ICAR

The genetic evaluation systems of vit were successfully re-certified by ICAR for the next 5 years. Once again, the high standard of genetic evaluations carried out by vit in internal comparison were confirmed by a neutral body. The vit genetic evaluation systems are certified by ISO9001-2015, too.


[Translate to English:] Der neue RZG ab April 2021

[Translate to English:] Mit der April-Veröffentlichung wird für Schwarzbunt und Rotbunt ein neuer RZG eingeführt. Gegenüber dem seit 2008 geltenden RZG werden sowohl die berücksichtigten Merkmale als auch deren Gewichtung angepasst. Aber auch bei den in den RZG eingehenden Subindizes ändert sich einiges.


Revised total merit index RZG in April 2021

With the April 2021 publication the total merit index RZG for Holstein will undergo major changes. Compared to version official since 2008 the list of included traits is expanded by direct health traits and young stock survival. Furthermore, the weighting within the subindices is modified. Learn more about the new weighting and the impact on bulls here.


Efficient dairy data exchange the focus of a new international network

The largest international dairy data partnership, bringing together milk recording organizations and national databases across thirteen countries representing approximately 200,000 dairy herds, 20 million dairy cows in total and 13 million milk recorded dairy cows, was launched in November 2020. The International Dairy Data Exchange (iDDEN) is aimed at streamlining data exchange between dairy herds, milk recording organizations and dairy equipment manufacturers as well as other dairy related organizations.


The new total merit index RZ€ - focus on economy of dairy production

With the publication of breeding values for dairy breeds on August 11th 2020 a new totoal merit index - additional to the RZG - will be published.


Many news from April evaluations for dairy breeds

On Tuesday August 13th 2019 results from the August evaluation run for dairy breeds were published. For the first time breeding values for young stock survival, the RZKälberfit (RZcalfhealth), were published. More information on RZKälberfit is found here. Toplists for females on behalf of BRS will be published Thursday 15th.


vit now ICAR certified for parentage verification

Als erste Organisation weltweit überhaupt ist vit seit dem 16. Januar 2018 von ICAR zertifizierte Stelle für die Abstammungsüberprüfung auf Basis von SNP-Typisierungen.