A notable outcome of the update is a general drop in Animal Breeding Values (ABVs) across many traits, driven largely by the base update — which now benchmarks cows born in 2020 against a more relevant population rather than older generations. While values have lowered, this shift does not fundamentally alter animal rankings, but provides a more accurate foundation for genetic selection going forward.

Despite lower ABVs, key breeding indices have seen growth. The Balanced Performance Index (BPI), Health Weighted Index (HWI) and Sustainability Index (SI) all increased in magnitude, partly driven by updated economic weightings — especially milk price adjustments that change how fat and protein are valued. Individual bull rankings have reshuffled somewhat, but high genetic merit animals largely remain at the top.

Breed-specific impacts surfaced in the updated evaluation: Holsteins and Jerseys saw higher overall type and mammary ABVs, reflecting a broader and more representative comparison group within the base, while fertility ABV declined for Holsteins due to improvements in the broader population. Jerseys also showed a significant drop in milk litres ABV, highlighting shifts in trait emphasis under the new system.