The beef and dairy industries are becoming more closely aligned than ever, thanks to the widespread adoption of beef-on-dairy breeding.

For years, our focus in the dairy industry had been to create as many heifer calves as possible, and raise them with great intention to make excellent replacement females. But as market conditions changed, many herds narrowed their base of replacement heifers, aided by genomic information that improved breeding criteria. Dairy producers now can be more selective about which cows to breed for heifers and add value to their other matings by using beef semen to create surplus calves.    

Today, given the considerable value of beef-cross calves (and relatively tepid milk markets), dairy producers are starting to focus even more maximizing the profit potential of beef-cross calves. In essence, they are becoming beef producers, too.

So, what can we learn from our beef-producing colleagues? Here are 5 areas of focus that could serve us well going forward:

(1)   Meat quality – Now that we’re creating beef animals, sire selection should emphasize traits that build higher-performing calves, such as weaning weight, yearling weight, carcass weight, marbling, yield grade, and ribeye area. Also, unlike a dairy heifer, we are not raising these calves with goals of building bone and frame. We’re learning that we can grow better beef animals with moderate levels of protein (22-25%) in the liquid ration, and feeding rates of about 1.25-1.50 pounds of milk replacer powder per day.

(2)   Transition milk – Beef calves naturally receive transition milk as they continue to nurse their dams from the colostrum stage straight through to weaning. In recent years, dairy calf researchers have become increasingly aware of the benefits of transition milk to all calves. Creative ways are being developed to replicate the merits of transition milk in the early weeks of life. Among them are harvesting and feeding transition milk; supplementing the liquid ration with dried colostrum; and feeding alternative additives that offer similar benefits, like plasma protein. Bravo PD-1 is a post-day-1 supplement that delivers a highly beneficial, concentrated dose of colostrum, bovine plasma, and whey proteins to support calves in their first 14-21 days of life, much like transition milk.

(3)   Weaning well – A typical beef calf on the cow weans itself naturally at 6-7 months of age. That’s in stark contrast to the 6-8-week weaning imposed on most dairy calves. While 6 months versus 6 weeks is probably not an economically realistic change, stretching our weaning age to 10 weeks could help calves adjust to the post-weaning ration and navigate other weaning-related changes more effectively.

(4)   Market collaboration – Smaller cow-calf producers have worked cooperatively for years to harness more value from their calves through marketing arrangements to create larger loads of more uniform cattle. These calves often bypass the sale barn and are sold direct to the backgrounder or feeder. Dairy producers can do the same, with the added benefit of receiving feedback data. When you sell calves on the open market, you lose the feedback loop. But knowing your buyer can help steer your decisions and create more desirable animals down the road.

(5)   Retained ownership – Many beef producers have also captured their investment in genetics, nutrition, and health management by retaining ownership all the way to market. This requires some near-term financial sacrifice, but could ultimately be more monetarily rewarding. An added benefit is the guaranteed procurement of cutout data from the packer, which again can be highly valuable in creating high-performing, profitable beef animals in the future.

These are exciting and changing times in the calf-raising industry. By opening ourselves to innovative ideas and embracing the opportunities for diversified profit, dairies can improve both their bottom lines and their long-term sustainability.

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