The latest ICBF analysis shows that all 75 top active dairy bulls are Irish‑bred, with strong EBI performance and high reliability based on March 2026 evaluations.
The EBI details of the top 75 bulls on the dairy active bull list are based on the March 2026 genetic evaluations calculated by ICBF. Semen from all of the Bulls has been indicated as being available by the various AI Companies, hence the term ‘Active’ Bull List. The criteria for making the list are as follows:
- EBI reliability greater than or equal to 35%.
- Calving difficulty reliability greater than or equal to 70% (based on 23% heifer rel% and 77% cow rel%)
- At least 50 Irish calving records.
2026 Active Bull List – Analysed
This year, all the top 75 bulls on the list are Irish-bred bulls. This is the highest number of Irish-bred bulls that have ever been listed on the ICBF Dairy Active Bull List. Foreign sires dominated the active bull list in the early years. In 2001, there were just 2 Irish-bred bulls on the list. Over time, sires were increasingly sourced domestically. Currently, all sires on the active bull list are Irish-bred, as illustrated in the graph below, which reflects the effectiveness of Dairy Gene Ireland.
The 75 Bulls on the list are all Holstein/Friesian and have an average EBI of €249. The bull’s EBI on the list range from €291 down to €231. 73% of the bulls that are on the list are Genomic Bulls, with the remainder being Daughter Proven here in Ireland (27%). See Table 2. All of the bulls are genotyped, and none of them is a carrier of genetic defects, e.g. CVM or BLAD.
The bulls, which are ranked highest for each type of proof on the list, are listed below:
Click Here to view the Dairy Active Bull List.