Beef on Dairy
Beef-on-dairy crossbreeding has rapidly emerged as a strategic approach for dairy producers, allowing them to boost their farm’s profitability while advancing genetic progress within their herds. Explore how this growing trend can add value to your operation and position it for long-term success.
As beef-dairy crossbred calves become a more widespread industry staple, they present their own set of specific benefits and challenges to the marketplace. A recently published study by Iowa State University researchers explored both.
Dairy cattle slaughter in May totaled 216,100 head, down 22,100 head from April and 33,000 lower than May 2023.
Becky Nyman of Hilmar, Calif., recently visited with AgriTalk host, Chip Flory, about being the next generation dairy farmer. Nyman works alongside her brother on the home farm where they milk 1,200 Jerseys.
After years of negative margins, it might just be profitable to raise and sell excess dairy replacement heifers again.
In the ever-evolving marketplace, innovation remains at the forefront of progress. Betty Berning of HighGround Dairy recently joined AgriTalk to talk about dairy markets and shed light on some developments and trends.
With prices experiencing a downturn and input costs high producers have been quick to search out alternative revenue to help their operations turn a profit. One method has been to incorporate a beef-on-dairy program.
Alex Neuenschwander, a fourth-generation dairy farmer, is headed to the Indy 500 winners circle this weekend to hand out the iconic bottle of milk. His secret to success on the farm? Finding efficiency at every level.
I used to believe that $20 milk is what it takes to rock and roll. To cover our expenses and to have some dollars left to make capital purchases. What is the new break-even cost?
Head to the Lone Star State, and everything is bigger, or so they say. That doesn’t only refer to big hats and big hair, it also applies to dairies, as the average size in the Panhandle hovers around 4,000 cows.
USDA-FSIS said it collected 30 samples from “states with dairy cattle herds that had tested positive for the H5N1 influenza virus at the time of sample collection.” No virus particles were found to be present.
This growing beef-on-dairy health problem is costing packers two major things – time and money.
As long as the beef market is hot, the key for producers will be maintaining the right number of lactating cows going through the parlor and ensuring the right number of replacement heifers can keep that pipeline full.
Liver abscesses remain a singular, dark cloud over the otherwise sunny segment of dairy-beef-cross cattle. Several entities are performing research to try to solve this frustrating industry obstacle.
Lucas Fuess with RaboResearch says we are now in a far different state as producers have kept fewer replacement heifers and the milking herd numbers are the lowest they’ve been in four-plus years.
What’s new and rare for the dairy industry is that we are experiencing nearly a year of weaker global milk supply. What’s not new is that for the seventh consecutive month, milk production has documented a decline.
Comparing a leap year versus a non-leap year in 2023, February milk production was up 2.4%. However, on a per-day basis, production was down 1.1%. Milk cows totaled 9.3 million head, down 89,000 compared to a year ago.
Dairy producers wonder what it will take for the market to turn around, as we wade out of this volatile economy. Phil Plourd shares fluctuating signals that are a telltale sign if milk prices will rebound in 2024.
One thing adversity teaches us is how to persevere. Dig deeper. Plow harder. At least this is what dairy farmer, Todd Benedict, has learned when he faced two nightmare situations—a barn fire and losing his milk market.
Beef-on-dairy numbers in the U.S. will reach up to 5 million head – roughly 15% of the cattle harvested annually – as early as 2026. The sexed-and-beef model of production will play a prominent role in the process.
Higher prices for beef calves are incentivizing dairy producers to breed crossbred bull calves
As beef-on-dairy animals within the feedlot system continue to rise, feedlots are craving two key pieces of information to help ensure these crossbred cattle thrive.
Michael Dykes, CEO of IDFA shared at the 2024 International Dairy Forum in Phoenix that our industry has a growth mindset The big-ticket question is whether today’s producers can help fill the milk production need.
No matter when beef cross calves are being sold, steps can be taken to make them more marketable.
As milk prices continue to sink lower, more and more dairy producers are turning their attention to creating a healthy beef cross calf to generate additional income for their farms.
The High Plains Dairy Conference will be March 5-6 in Amarillo, Texas. The conference will explore alternative revenue streams, the future of exports and much more.
All leading experts—from economists to cattle marketers, share that those producers with a surplus of heifer replacements are likely to capitalize on a pretty penny in the year ahead.
Dairy replacement heifer trade has been light nationwide. Similarly, global dairy trade has been on the decline. Will the trend continue as we head into 2024?
Minnesota ended 2023 with 146 fewer dairy farm permits than the state did at the beginning of the year. The big-ticket question is with dairy’s razor-thin financial margins, how many more dairies will exit in 2024?
Beef cross calves are currently generating healthy profits for dairies. They also are a welcome addition to the beef supply chain, according to Dr. Zeb Gray, Beef Technical Feedlot Specialist with Diamond V.
Farming has run deep in the Moes family roots for the past 130 years. Today, the fourth and fifth generations continue to keep their ancestors’ dreams of farming alive.