Beef Genetics News

Beyond the Black Hide: Why Your Beef-on-Dairy Strategy Could Be Costing You $66,000 a Year

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:13:56 GMT

For the past several years, the beef-on-dairy revolution has been the single most transformative trend in the dairy industry. What started as a strategy to manage excess heifer inventory has evolved into a sophisticated, multi-billion-dollar supply chain. Although the conversation has shifted, as the novelty has worn off, the boom phase is maturing and a new, more disciplined chapter is beginning.

Moderated by Joe Dalton of the University of Idaho, a panel of industry leaders recently sat down to map out the next chapter in 2026 at the High Plains Dairy Conference in Amarillo, Texas. The message was clear: In the coming year, simply producing a black-hided calf will no longer be enough. Success in 2026 will be defined by genetic verification, supply chain partnerships and a relentless focus on carcass consistency.

The Powerhouse of the High Plains

To understand the scale of this shift, one must look at the geography of the American feedyard. Laphe LaRoe, director of operations for Smith Cattle Company and Chair of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association provided a sobering look at Cattle Feeding Country.

The region encompassing Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico accounts for more than 25% of the nation’s fed cattle, generating a staggering $22 billion in total economic impact. However, the traditional supply of native beef cattle is under pressure. U.S. cattle inventories have seen a decline of 8.5 million head between 2019 and 2026.

“We are doing more with less,” LaRoe noted, pointing to charts that show beef production holding steady despite plummeting cattle numbers. The gap is being filled by beef-on-dairy. In the Texas High Plains, the inventory of native steers and heifers is trending downward, while the beef-on-dairy line on the graph is climbing aggressively. By the first quarter of 2026, BxD calves are no longer a byproduct — they are a primary component of the feedyard inventory.

The Scarcity Premium Versus Price Dispersion

Lauren Kimble, manager of ProfitSOURCE Supply Chains for Select Sires, Inc., highlighted the current market dynamics. Currently, the industry is enjoying a scarcity supply premium. Because total cattle numbers are so low, almost all cattle are commanding high prices, and the quality spreads — the price difference between a mediocre calf and an elite one — have condensed.

However, Kimble warned this window is closing. As we move through 2026, the outlook points toward increased supply and, more importantly, price dispersion.

“Genetic differentiation may be the key to maintaining optimal market access,” Kimble explained. In a market with more volume, buyers will become more selective. The scarcity premium will be replaced by a quality premium, where calves with verified genetics and known performance will pull away from the mixed genetics pack.

What Beef-on-Dairy Gets Right

The reason the BxD movement has been so successful is rooted in its ability to solve the beef industry’s greatest challenge: variability. Kimble shared data illustrating beef-on-dairy gets it right in three major areas:

Quality and Grade: BxD calves are hitting higher Choice and Prime percentages with strong marbling expression.
Consistency: Unlike the native cow-calf sector, which is fragmented across thousands of small herds, dairy operations provide uniform carcasses, tighter yield/quality distribution and a year-round market supply.
Efficiency: These calves are bred for growth performance that fits the modern packer’s needs.

The data is startling. While the total fed cattle harvest averages roughly 12% Prime and 73% Choice, program-specific beef-on-dairy is hitting 40% Prime and 59% Choice. As Sidney Abbot of OT Feedyard & Research Center famously stated: “I care deeply about consistency … variability is the enemy.”

The Financial Reality: Genetics as Brand Equity

Delbert Hollis, president and founder of CMS Livestock Auction, brought the livestock trading perspective to the stage, and he didn’t mince words about the financial implications of genetic selection.

In an analysis of video sales from January 2025 to February 2026, the price differences were stark. Calves out of Holstein dams vs. non-Holstein dams saw a $26.17/cwt advantage. Angus sires held a $14.27/cwt lead over Limousin and Simmental crosses. Even the NHTC (non-hormone treated cattle) designation added a $10.28/cwt premium.

Another compelling data point was the program advantage. Calves sold under a verified genetic program averaged $1,966.37 per head (standardized to 450 lb.). Calves with no genetic program averaged $1,913.40.

That is a difference of $52.97 per head.

“For a load of 105 head sold, that difference equals $5,562,” Hollis noted. “If you are selling 105 head every month, that is $66,744 left on the table every year by not using tailored program genetics.”

In 2026, genetics are no longer just an expense — they are brand equity.

Hitting a Moving Target

As the industry matures, the targets are moving. Jon D. Robison of JDR Livestock Management Services and Dale Woerner of Texas Tech emphasized the industry is evolving its conversation around red meat yield (RMY).

“We have a system that doesn’t tell us accurately what we should be producing,” Woerner noted, referring to the USDA Yield Grade system introduced in 1965. The next chapter of beef-on-dairy will involve managing hot carcass weight (HCW) and ribeye distribution to hit specific Certified Angus Beef (CAB) specs more accurately.

The mantra for 2026, as quoted by Troy Marshall of the American Angus Association, is: “Genetics create potential. Systems capture value.”

The Next Chapter

The High Plains Dairy Conference panel made it clear the next chapter of beef-on-dairy is about professionalization. The days of “any black bull will do” are over. To thrive in 2026, producers must:

Verify Genetics: Use programs that provide data-backed premiums.
Focus on the Dam: Recognize the Holstein/Jersey base is just as important as the beef sire.
Build Relationships: Partner with feedyards and packers who value consistency over volume.
Capture the Data: Understand the tuition of the past decade has taught us that variability is the most expensive mistake a dairy can make.

As the industry moves forward, beef-on-dairy is no longer just a boom. It is the backbone of a new, more efficient and more profitable American beef supply chain.

U.S. Bovine Semen Slipped 4% in 2025, Exports Hit Record $327M

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:06:21 GMT

Even with a major export market disappearing early in the year, the U.S. bovine genetics industry proved its resilience in 2025.

New data from the National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) , which represents roughly 95% of the U.S. artificial insemination industry, shows total semen sales slipped about 4% in 2025 to just under 66 million units - a decline of 2.9 million compared with 2024, effectively giving back last year’s modest gain. However, the industry offset much of that loss through stronger beef demand, expanded export markets and continued shifts in dairy breeding strategies.

China Closes Doors, Global Markets Evolve

In February 2025, U.S. bovine semen exports to China came to an abrupt standstill after Chinese authorities halted the issuance of required veterinary health certificates, cutting off one of the industry’s key export channels. The disruption stemmed from regulatory and trade tensions, not animal health concerns. Without the certificates, U.S. exporters had to redirect product to other markets.

“While dairy unit exports were down due to the closure of the China market, exports to other countries increased, which significantly reduced the impact of the closure,” says Jay Weiker, president of NAAB.

Even with China offline, robust interest from Europe, Brazil, North Africa and South Asia helped steady the export picture.

“The industry not only stabilized but continued to advance by strengthening long-standing markets and opening new ones,” says NAAB international program director Sophie Eaglen.

The closure of China also reshaped the list of top semen buyers by value. In 2025, the United Kingdom led the rankings, followed by Italy and Mexico. Brazil led in total units imported, followed by Mexico and Russia. Overall, 46 markets imported over $1 million in U.S. semen, accounting for 94% of export units and 95% of export value.

A Down Year for Dairy

The U.S. dairy semen market experienced a substantial decline in 2025, reflecting ongoing shifts in breeding strategies and global market pressures. Total dairy unit sales, including domestic, export and custom-collected units, fell 6% compared to 2024, a loss of roughly 3 million units, bringing the total to 45.8 million.

Despite the overall decline, domestic use showed a slight rebound, increasing 2% to 16.5 million units, or nearly 367,000 additional units. Sexed semen continued to dominate U.S. herds, rising 6% to 10.6 million units and now accounting for 64% of all dairy semen used domestically. Conventional dairy semen declined by 280,000 units, highlighting the continued trend toward precision breeding and genomic selection.

Exports for dairy semen totaled 28.3 million units, down about 2.5 million from 2024. The early-year closure of the China market contributed to the drop, but exports to other countries, particularly across Europe, Brazil, North Africa and South Asia, helped offset much of the lost volume. NAAB says strong international demand for replacement heifers continues to create opportunities for U.S. dairy producers.

Beef Semen Sees a Bump

The beef segment saw modest growth in 2025, reversing a multi-year decline. Total beef semen sales increased by 1%, or roughly 122,000 units, to reach 20.2 million units. Domestic use accounted for most of that growth, with beef units sold into beef herds rising 7% for the second consecutive year. In total, 9.8 million beef units were used domestically, with 8.1 million going into dairy herds and 1.7 million used in traditional beef herds.

Heterospermic beef semen, which combines genetics from multiple sires in a single straw, remains a significant portion of the market, though it declined from its 2024 peak of 2.8 million units to just over 2 million in 2025. Domestically, heterospermic units represented 2 million of the total, with 400,000 units exported. Angus remains the dominant beef breed, followed by crossbreeds and heterospermic products.

Export demand for beef genetics also continues to expand. Total beef semen exports grew 13% to 5.5 million units, underscoring the global appetite for U.S. genetics even as total semen unit exports declined overall.

Beef-on-Dairy Genetics Hold Steady

Beef-on-dairy genetics have become an increasingly important strategy for U.S. dairy producers, and 2025 was no exception. Domestic use remained steady at 8.1 million units, while exports of beef-on-dairy semen grew 13%, adding approximately 279,000 units.

This segment is fueled by genomic selection strategies that allow dairy producers to produce replacement heifers from their best animals while using beef sires on the remainder of the herd to create high-value F1 calves for feedlots. Adoption is also growing internationally, with rising demand for F1 calves and crossbred genetics, reinforcing the role of U.S. dairy producers in meeting both domestic and global needs.

Adaptive Trends and Future Opportunities

Despite the year’s unit declines, the industry is adjusting and finding its footing as global demand shifts and new breeding tools and market opportunities come along.

“Trends in semen usage reflect producers’ efforts to improve genetic outcomes and economic returns in an evolving marketplace,” Weiker says. “NAAB members should be complimented for their commitment to developing new markets and increasing market share in strategically important markets. There are many positives that can be gleaned from the 2025 results.”

With export value at record levels and beef-on-dairy strategies growing, the industry appears positioned for continued adaptation and progress in years ahead.

Are Beef-on-Dairy Calf Prices the New $24 Milk?

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 22:29:10 GMT

The rise of beef‑on‑dairy has changed the way many farms think about their finances. What began as an extra source of income is now a major contributor to overall profitability, especially during a year of tight milk markets. In fact, some industry leaders argue that beef revenue now rivals, and in some cases exceeds, the profit generated from milk itself.

“You guys may be in the beef business more than you are in the dairy business, ” says Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, during this year’s Professional Dairy Producers conference.

This shift has happened quickly. Not long ago, beef revenue represented a relatively small portion of dairy income. But today, the need for more beef has dramatically increased the value of calves leaving the farm.

“At the end of 2022 on the farm, the average dairy was getting paid about a $1 to $1.50 a hundredweight in beef equivalent revenue,” says Mike North, President of the Producer Division at Ever.Ag “Today, that number is north of $5. We’ve tripled that part of the financials. It’s a massive opportunity.”

Filling the Cattle Gap

One of the biggest reasons beef-on-dairy has grown so quickly is simple: the beef industry needs more cattle. In recent years, the U.S. beef cow herd has shrunk due to weather, high input costs and lower heifer retention, tightening the supply of calves for feedlots.

That shortage has pushed feedlots to turn to beef-on-dairy calves to fill pens, which has driven calf prices higher and created a source of income that’s becoming hard to overlook.

“Beef has become a major contributor to our revenue stream,” says Will Babler, principal at Atten Babler Risk Management LLC. “And it’s not going away. These prices may not last forever, but they won’t go back to what they used to be.”

Rebuilding the national beef herd takes time, and until more heifers are retained, the number of feeder calves available will remain tight, keeping demand strong for crossbred cattle.

“The question I get asked most often is how long is this going to last,” Doud says. “The answer is a minimum of three to five years. If you take that [beef] heifer and you retain her, then her offspring become steak at the grocery store. How long does that take? The answer is a minimum of three years. So this does not change in terms of what these [prices] can do.”

A Protein Driven Future

Consumer demand is also a major factor behind the momentum. Even as retail prices climb, beef continues to hold a strong place in American diets, and restaurants and retailers have largely kept it on the menu. That steady demand keeps pressure on the supply chain to find cattle wherever they can be produced efficiently.

“Six years ago, if you would have told that a steak could rise from $30 all the way to $65 and restaurants would still be full on a Tuesday night, I would have told you you were crazy,” Doud says. “But we’ve done it. This is demand driven. The U.S. consumer loves that product.”

The trend isn’t limited to the U.S. market. Globally, demand for animal protein continues to grow, and Doud believes supply will struggle to keep pace.

“If you look over the next 10 years and beyond, the supply of animal protein in the world with beef, pork, poultry and dairy comes nowhere near meeting the demand,” he says. “The current demand for protein in the world is unbelievable.”

A Market on Fire

In today’s market, beef-on-dairy calves are pulling in prices that would have seemed unimaginable just a few years ago. Day-old calves can sell for more than $1,500, and in some regions, even higher. That kind of money has producers paying attention in the same way they do when milk prices hit rare highs. North compares the current beef-on-dairy market to $24 milk.

“What should one do with $24 milk?” he asked. “Walk quietly into the sunset and say, we’ll wait to see if it gets better?”

With prices sitting at all‑time highs, this isn’t the moment to step back.

“That’s where we’re at on beef right now,” he says. “We’re talking about all-time records, and you just don’t walk away from those and say, ‘Ah, I’ll check back in next month.’ That’s not how we approach markets like this. You’ve got to go after it.”

Part of what makes beef-on-dairy calves so valuable is the consistency and predictability they bring. Feedlots appreciate that these animals perform reliably and arrive in good condition.

“The buyers love these crossbred calves,” Babler says. “They have figured out how to get them to perform, and they show up on time. None of this is going to change.”

He believes that dairies bring more to the table than just animal performance. They also bring traceability, which could create additional opportunities for premium value.

“When you get into the packer community and start having conversations, not only do they love them, but there’s an extra set of opportunities attached to this animals,” Babler says. “Producers know their breeding decision, when that calf was born and every treatment it received, all the way up to that point of sale.”

That combination of predictability and traceability is why he believes beef-on-dairy brings more to the table.

“I’ve said for the last years it’s my belief that premium beef in the United States will be held largely by dairymen because of the extra benefits that these animals bring as they go to market,” Babler says.

Babler adds that the impact is clear on farms right now, and even when the market eventually levels out, the interest and value of these calves are here to stay.

“We have all realized the benefit of beef revenue on the dairy right now,” he says. “I’m really optimistic about where this beef and dairy intersection is going. We know that it may go higher, but we also know there’s going to be a reset. We just don’t know when. The good news is that even when it resets, the amount of beef value and interest on these cattle I just don’t see going away whatsoever.”

A Long-Term Opportunity

Ask any producer participating in a beef-on-dairy program and they will quickly tell you how it has become a major force in their farm’s profitability. Record-high prices and strong demand from feedlots have made this market impossible to ignore.

For many operations, selling crossbred calves has become a regular part of the business. And in years of low milk prices, that extra value can make a real difference in keeping finances steady.

Zoetis to Acquire Neogen’s Animal Genomics Business

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 13:12:29 GMT

Today, Neogen Corporation , an innovative leader in food safety solutions, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its global genomics business to Zoetis Inc. , the world’s leading animal health company, for $160 million, subject to customary closing adjustments.

Neogen’s planned divestiture, which had been previously announced, was part of the company’s portfolio review strategy to simplify the business and focus on core strategic markets.

“Neogen’s genomics business ( GeneSeek ) has been a pioneer in advanced DNA testing for livestock and has set a high standard for innovation across the livestock sector, with globally recognized solutions spanning genomic prediction, herd improvement and data integration,” says Tom Schultz, Neogen head of commercial global genomics."We’re excited to build on that foundation in our future with Zoetis and to continue advancing tools that strengthen animal health, performance and overall profitability. Customers can expect a thoughtful transition and continued excellent service,”

According to a Zoetis release , “This acquisition aligns directly with Zoetis’ strategy to drive future livestock innovation through genomics, reinforcing its commitment to livestock producers worldwide and advancing its precision animal health portfolio. By integrating Neogen’s genomic technologies and data solutions, Zoetis is expanding its capabilities to deliver predictive insights, individualized care and greater value to customers across major livestock and companion animal species.”

Neogen’s genomics business serves customers in more than 120 countries through its five laboratories in the U.S., Brazil, Australia, China and the United Kingdom, as well as an office location in Canada. The business leverages a comprehensive genotyping platform of fixed array and sequencing technologies, as well as software solutions that empower customers to make informed and data-driven decisions. The business is a leader in U.S. beef and dairy genomics , and its cutting-edge technologies enable highly accurate, scalable genetic testing and deeper insights into animal health, productivity and sustainability.

“This transaction is part of the company’s strategic portfolio review and allows the company to accelerate de-leveraging and improve profitability going forward,” says Mike Nassif, Neogen’s chief executive officer and president. “Furthermore, this deal allows us to focus in areas where the company has the most significant competitive advantage and further leverage our core capabilities in food and animal safety. We are committed to a smooth transition for customers, employees and other stakeholders, and believe the business is well positioned to thrive under Zoetis’ ownership.”

GeneSeek has been a pioneer in advanced DNA testing for livestock and companion animal industries, leveraging a global presence to deliver highly accurate, data-driven insights that contribute to improved animal performance and health, as well as profitability, in the beef, dairy and other industries. Through the flagship Igenity and GGP portfolio and rapid turnaround times, the business offers returns-focused genomic tools and globally recognized standards in genomic prediction to accelerate herd improvement and enable genomics trait screening. Supported by the Encompass platform for genomic data integration and strategic partnerships advancing DNA-backed traceability, GeneSeek is committed to continued innovation and scientific excellence.

“We’re excited to build on our innovative genomics portfolio offerings in our future with Zoetis and to continue advancing tools that strengthen overall animal health, performance, and profitability,” Schultz says. “At Zoetis, genomics becomes a core part of a company fully dedicated to animal health. Zoetis brings deep scientific capabilities, operational scale, and a long-term commitment to genetics and data.”

Jamie Brannan, Zoetis chief commercial officer, adds, “The addition of Neogen’s genomics business strengthens our commitment to advancing animal health through innovation, data and technology. As we continue to grow our leading innovative solutions in Precision Animal Health, this acquisition brings complementary capabilities that expand predictive insights and individualized care, enabling us to deliver added value to customers. Together, we are shaping the future of animal health, empowering customers with the tools they need to support healthier animals and sustainable livestock production globally.”

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the first half of the company’s 2027 fiscal year, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. The net proceeds from the transaction are expected to be used primarily for debt reduction. The Neogen genomics business generated approximately $90 million in sales during fiscal year 2025.

“At the time of the announcement, nothing will change,” Schultz explains. “Our customers’ contacts and ordering processes remain the same — products, services and support also remain the same. Customers can expect a thoughtful transition, continued service continuity, and future benefits from Zoetis’ focus in the business. Any changes will be communicated well in advance.”

Zoetis says it is committed to a seamless integration, supporting continuity for colleagues and customers, and building on Neogen’s legacy of innovation in genomics.

Beef-on-Dairy is Becoming a Bigger Engine for the Beef Supply Chain

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 20:58:54 GMT

Beef-on-dairy has become a significant part of the U.S. beef supply over the past decade, gaining momentum much like a freight train that keeps picking up speed. In fact, roughly 20% of today’s beef now traces back to a dairy cow, reflecting how integrated dairy production has become with the broader beef value chain.

And according to Matthew Cleveland of ABS Global and Nick Hardcastle of Cargill North America, that momentum shows no signs of slowing down.

“I think we’re all aware of the scope and magnitude of what beef-on-dairy has become and the significant role it plays within our beef supply chain today,” Cleveland noted during a panel at the 2026 National Cattlemen’s Beef Association conference.

He says the sector’s growth has also changed how the dairy and beef industries view one another. Rather than operating as separate segments, the lines between them have blurred.

“The dairy business is a big part of the beef business,” Cleveland says. “I don’t even like to separate them now. We’re all in the beef business, and we value partnership with our dairy producers.”

As beef-on-dairy has expanded, more attention has turned to decisions made on the dairy, where breeding choices directly influence how those calves perform all the way through the beef system.

Breeding With the Beef End in Mind

In the early days of beef-on-dairy, breeding decisions were driven largely by convenience rather than genetic intent. Beef semen was often selected based on price and availability rather than how those genetics would fit the needs of the beef sector.

“Before people really started thinking about beef sire genetics on dairy cows, there wasn’t much consideration for what those genetics actually were,” Cleveland says. “Most decisions came down to what semen was already in the tank or what was free. The main goal was simply getting the cow pregnant.”

That approach began to change as the industry started to see beef-on-dairy as a long-term genetic opportunity rather than just a reproductive tool.

“We began looking at beef‑on‑dairy more seriously from a genetic improvement standpoint around 2012,” Cleveland says. “We started to see the signals that beef-on-dairy was growing.”

Not long after, dedicated breeding programs were being developed across genetic companies to address the needs of both dairy producers and the beef supply chain. Today, Cleveland says those programs continue to evolve, with commercial performance data feeding back into genetic evaluations to drive ongoing improvement.

From ‘Black Holsteins’ to Beef-Calf Performance

During the early days of beef-on-dairy, crossbred calves exposed real challenges for the beef industry. Cleveland notes that many of these animals were simply viewed as “black Holsteins,” which cooled enthusiasm among packers.

“If you think back to 2013-14, you were just trying to create a black calf,” he notes. “We weren’t seeing the performance that you would expect from a beef calf. And for a few years, I think that soured the supply chain on the idea of beef-on-dairy.”

As sire selection became more intentional, however, performance improved. By 2017-18, Cleveland says calves coming from dairy cows began to more closely resemble traditional beef calves.

“We had to create animals that were going to perform,” Cleveland says. “And for us, that was really about focusing our genetic improvement to ensure we selected for the right things each segment wanted.”

Some of those genetic improvements included:

Fertility and calving traits for dairies
Feed efficiency and growth traits for feedyards
Carcass merit and consistency traits for the packers

According to Cleveland, these efforts have helped beef-on-dairy calves perform more like native beef cattle. And by focusing on traits that matter for dairies, feedyards and packers, the beef-on-dairy animals that we know today are much more consistent and valuable.

Performance Trends from the Packer’s Rail

With beef-on-dairy calves now performing more like traditional beef cattle, packers see that consistency as essential for maintaining quality and keeping cattle moving through the system.

“Beef-on-dairy is a very important thing for the beef industry right now, especially when we’re talking about capacity,” Hardcastle says. “We have to make sure we have a beef population that can meet our consumers’ demand.”

Importantly, he emphasizes that these animals are not bringing down overall standards in the beef industry.

“They’re good for the consumer,” Hardcastle says. “Tenderness data shows they perform very well, making a positive impact. These aren’t just animals being blended in that lower beef quality; they actually help improve it.”

He references Cleveland’s remarks, highlighting how focused breeding and feeding approaches have contributed to stronger quality grades.

“Over the past five years, we’ve seen quality grade continuously improve,” he says. “Back in 2021, these animals graded 80% Choice or better. Today they’re leveling at about 92% Choice.”

Hardcastle says beef-on-dairy cattle are also making a notable contribution to Prime.

“From a marbling perspective, almost two-thirds of these cattle could qualify for upper two-thirds Choice,” he says. “The ones that don’t usually fall short because of factors like hot carcass weight, ribeye size and fat thickness.”

From a carcass quality perspective, Hardcastle says beef-on-dairy is delivering the kind of results the industry needs. They’re grading well, adding stability to supply and proving they can hold their own in a system that demands both consistency and performance.

Processing Challenges Inside the Plant

Even as grades and marbling improve, processors are still working through carcass traits that affect returns, particularly excess kidney, pelvic and heart (KPH) fat. Hardcastle explains that beef-on-dairy cattle often mirror their Holstein roots, tending to carry more KPH fat than native beef animals.

“From a packing perspective, you pay for a carcass with the kidney, pelvic and heart fat in it, but that fat can’t be sold as beef,” Hardcastle says. “It ends up in the tallow market at 50 to 60 cents a pound, compared with about $3.60 on a beef grid, creating an immediate value loss.”

On today’s heavier carcasses, even modest differences in KPH can add up.

“If I have a 950-lb. carcass, which is pretty common today, that can mean about 12 extra pounds of internal fat instead of saleable meat,” he says. “That difference can cost $30 to $40 per head.”

These carcass differences are also highlighting the limits of traditional yield grade assumptions.

“Yield grade is meant to estimate how much salable red meat a carcass will produce,” Hardcastle explains.

Based on ribeye size, backfat and carcass weight, beef-on-dairy cattle should cut better than native beef, but yield grades often don’t reflect their true performance.

“Yield grade and beef-on-dairy really aren’t closely related,” he says. “Research shows that yield grading doesn’t reliably predict cutability or value for Holsteins or beef-on-dairy cattle.”

This mismatch shows that standard measures like yield grade, internal fat and weight don’t always capture the real value of beef-on-dairy animals, making it challenging for processors to price and sort them at the rail. To address this, Cargill is testing new technology called SizeR to capture 3D carcass measurements at chain speed.

“So, we can evaluate the full composition of these animals, not just traditional ribeye and fat thickness,” Hardcastle says. “This will help feeders and geneticists be able to better target the right traits to improve cutability and consistency.”

Growing and Permanent Force

Each year, millions of beef-on-dairy calves enter the market, providing a reliable source of high-quality cattle that deliver value from the dairy all the way to the packer.

“We have somewhere in the neighborhood of 3 [million] to 3.5 million beef-on-dairy calves in the market today, which obviously represents a significant proportion of that beef supply chain,” Cleveland adds.

That presence is prompting both dairy and beef participants to think differently about their place in the larger system.

“At every stage, from the dairy to the feedyard to the packer, these animals are performing and adding value,” Hardcastle says. “We understand the significance of beef-on-dairy, and we know that beef-on-dairy is not going away.”

As the industry continues to refine how these cattle are evaluated and managed, beef-on-dairy is positioned to remain a dependable contributor to both supply and consumer demand. With ongoing genetic gains and strong beef demand fueling the engine, the sector is gaining momentum and becoming a permanent fixture in the beef supply chain.

Why Fiber Quality Matters More for Beef-on-Dairy

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 22:33:19 GMT

On paper, a beef-on-dairy steer may look about the same as conventional beef at finishing. But at the bunk and in the rumen, it’s a very different animal.

While physically these animals are identical, beef-on-dairy cattle are running on a more expensive engine, according to University of Nebraska beef systems Extension educator Alfredo Di Costanzo. During his recent webinar on beef-on-dairy fiber requirements, he used grazing data to highlight the different fiber needs for this terminal cross.

Different Genetics, Different Requirements

During a recent study, when Di Costanzo compared beef breeds to beef-on-dairy animals on pasture, the results were consistent. The traditional beef cattle converted forage to gain more efficiently, while the beef-on-dairy group gained more slowly and finished at lighter weights. To Di Costanzo, it showed the genetic influence of the dairy breed increases the energy required for growth.

“Because I put dairy [genetics] on this beef animal, the maintenance requirements have gone up,” he explains. “If we’re going to increase fiber inclusion, we’re going to have to do it with a better-quality forage.”

Why Low-Quality Fiber Doesn’t Cut It

The challenge is not just that beef-on-dairy cattle use more energy. It is also how quickly feed moves through their systems.

Dairy and dairy-cross animals tend to have a faster rate of passage through the rumen, Di Costanzo notes. That may not sound like a major difference, but it changes what kind of forage they can actually use. A stemmy, lower-quality roughage a beef steer might handle fairly well can end up acting like little more than gut fill in a Holstein-influenced calf.

While this study focused on cattle on pasture, the same idea applies at the feed bunk.

Di Costanzo explains lower-quality fiber does not stay in the rumen long enough to be properly digested for these beef-on-dairy crosses. In nutrition terms, that can create negative effects where poor-quality roughage drags down the performance of the entire ration by taking up space without delivering much energy in return.

“Lower quality forage, for me, means less time for ruminal digestion and more time, too, for negative associative effects,” Di Costanzo warns.

Those negative effects can show up as lower total digestibility, poorer feed efficiency and more variability in intake, especially when cattle are already being pushed on a high‑concentrate program. For beef‑on‑dairy cattle, that means cheap, low‑quality roughage is rarely worth the investment. Di Costanzo notes every pound of dry matter must work harder, making junk roughage a poor economic fit.

Is Cheap Roughage Costing You Gain?

Biologically, cattle can get by on very little fiber if energy and protein are there, Di Costanzo notes.

“At zero or near-zero inclusion of fiber in the diet, cattle are continuing to thrive,” he adds. “There’s really no NDF requirement for maintenance or growth.”

But in a real‑world feeding program, beef‑on‑dairy cattle need rations that turn a profit, not just keep them alive. That’s why Di Costanzo warns against using cheap, low‑quality hay or residues just to say the diet has enough roughage.

Instead, he suggests aiming for about 10% to 15% NDF from good‑quality forage. For many feed yards, that might mean favoring well‑processed silages or higher‑quality forages over the cheapest roughage available. The goal isn’t to stuff the rumen. It’s to support muscle gain without sacrificing efficiency.

Quality Over Quantity

Fiber decisions are not just about keeping the rumen healthy. They also affect how cattle perform on feed and the value you get when it’s time to sell.

Adding more fiber to beef-on-dairy diets can help support greater feed intake, but there’s a limit. Average daily gain starts to drop quickly once physically effective NDF goes above about 15.5%, and feed conversion efficiency also declines. The challenge for producers and nutritionists is finding the sweet spot where cattle eat enough without slowing growth.

Overall, the type of NDF is less important than making sure cattle get the right amount of good-quality fiber. Hitting that balance helps support intake, maintain feed efficiency and keep beef-on-dairy steers performing at their best. For beef on dairy cattle, a well-planned grower ration with the right balance of concentrate and quality fiber can set cattle up for a better finish.

The New Age of Beef-on-Dairy is Here

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Not long ago, beef-on-dairy was viewed as a side experiment to add value to low-demand dairy bull calves. Today, it’s become a practical strategy for both the dairy and feedlot sectors, boosting dairy margins while giving feedlots a steady, predictable supply of cattle.

As the segment has grown, the conversation has moved from whether it works to how it can work better. That evolution was front and center during the 2025 MILK Business Conference , where dairy producers and feedlot managers came together to compare notes, share lessons learned and discuss where beef-on-dairy is headed next.

(Farm Journal)

From Skepticism To Standard Practice

For many dairy producers, the first step into beef-on-dairy was taken cautiously. Daniel Vander Dussen, a New Mexico dairy farmer, remembers pushing back when beef-on-dairy was first introduced on his farm.

“We started giving it a try in 2017, so we weren’t the first ones to do it. I actually pushed back against it at first,” he says.

At the time, the idea of using beef semen on Holstein cows felt counterintuitive, especially after years of genetic progress focused mostly on milk production. The turning point came when calf buyers began to weigh in on value.

“Our custom calf raiser came to us and said, ‘Look, no matter what, your beef-on-dairy calves are going to bring you more than that Holstein steer ever will.’ So as soon as we figured that out, we went to beef-on-dairy. And looking back, I wish I would have started doing it even sooner,” Vander Dussen says.

That same progression has played out on a larger scale for Tony Lopes and his family’s fourth-generation California dairy. Over the past seven years, Lopes has helped turn beef-on-dairy from a trial concept into a central part of the operation. Today, the family milks 5,000 cows across four locations, produces about 3,800 beef-on-dairy animals annually and sources more than 12,000 additional crossbred calves from outside dairies and calf ranches.

(Angie Denton)

“Beef-on-dairy was becoming the trendy thing to do, and it coincided with us going through an expansion,” Lopes says.

During the farm’s expansion, replacement needs were secured using sexed semen. Once the dairy had hit their target, they stopped using conventional semen altogether and leaned fully into beef genetics. Today, the program has evolved even further, with calves raised from day-olds, to 400-lb. weights and up to 700 lb. to 750 lb. before marketing.

“In seven years, we’ve gone from knowing nothing about the feedlot side of beef-on-dairy to making it an incredibly big piece of our operation,” Lopes says.

What To Consider

For dairy producers like Lopes and Vander Dussen, as beef-on-dairy has cemented itself in the market, success has shifted from simply creating a black calf to producing one that fits the needs of the entire supply chain.

Feedlots and buyers are looking for cattle that finish the way they’re expected to, and that begins on the dairy. Breeding decisions, early calf health and how calves are managed in the first weeks all influence how predictable those animals will be later. As the market continues to mature, producers who plan ahead and stay connected to their buyers will be better set up for the long haul.

Begin With The End In Mind

Value doesn’t start at the feedlot. It starts on the dairy. Lopes says long-term success comes from thinking about how calves will be evaluated down the line. Animals that meet buyer and feedlot expectations are easier to market and more likely to earn premiums.

“If there isn’t value after the calf leaves your operation, it’s going to be difficult to capture more,” Lopes says. “Producers need to understand what buyers value and plan for that from the start.”

Vander Dussen learned that lesson over time.

“At first, as long as you had a black calf, that felt like enough,” he says. “But we quickly learned that feedlots care about more than just color. I wish we would have pushed harder for higher genetics right away.”

(Angie Denton)

Lopes bases genetics and buying decisions on conversations and data that align with his cattle marketing goals, not just individual traits.

“The goal is predictability,” he says. “You translate performance into dollars and make decisions from there.”

That same thinking carries into the feedyard.

“Everybody has to win within the chain,” says Dr. Eric Belke, veterinarian and feedlot partner at Blackshirt Feeders in Nebraska. “When data and feedback are interchanged, it leads to more consistent cattle and more value for everyone involved.”

Feedlots Crave Consistency

Collaboration matters with feedlots now leaning heavily on beef-on-dairy programs like those run by Lopes and Vander Dussen. These operations provide a steady supply of calves that grow and perform predictably, giving feedlots the scale and reliability they need.

Belke says that need for consistency is exactly why Blackshirt Feeders was designed around beef-on-dairy cattle.

“Our feedlot was really built for feeding beef-on-dairy animals,” Belke says. “Right now, we’re at a capacity of 100,000 head, and we’re under construction. Next year, we’ll be at 150,000 head. By the end of 2027, we’ll be at 200,000 head. Currently we have about 87,000 head on feed, and over 90% of those are beef-on-dairy animals.”

As beef-on-dairy enters a new era, feedlots like Blackshirt Feeders are looking more toward dairies to keep their pens full. Belke says the year-round flow of cattle sets beef-on-dairy apart from traditional procurement models that are heavily influenced by seasonality.

(Angie Denton)

“The reason this closed loop system really works is because we can grow cattle at scale. We needed a very large and consistent supply chain,” he explains. “Historically, in the feedlot world, there has been a lot of seasonality. With the beef-on-dairy population, we have a very consistent flow of cattle throughout the year.”

Consistency also shows up in performance, driven by genetic design and selection.

“Consistency is key, not just in the flow of cattle, but also in the consistent and predictive outcome of the cattle,” Belke adds. “What we’ve done genetically is work with dairy farmers to design sires that ultimately create extremely similar offspring.”

That focus on genetics and uniformity has helped feedlots manage risk and improve efficiency. Tony Bryant, director of nutrition, research and analytics at Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, says these animals are helping feedlots fill supply needs today and will continue to do so efficiently in the future.

“The cattle supply has been challenging for us trying to keep these yards full, and part of that is just the nature of the cattle cycle. But the other part of it is drought and the closure of the border. So, the beef-on-dairy cross animals really help us and the whole industry, especially from a cattle supply standpoint,” Bryant adds.

Bryant says improvements in genetics and faster access to data are helping feedlots get cattle that perform predictably, making it easier to manage costs and hit marketing targets.

“Beef-on-dairy has come a long way in a short time, with data coming back faster and the cattle getting better because of it,” he adds.

With the native beef herd continuing to shrink, both Belke and Bryant say the reliable supply and more predictable results of beef-on-dairy cattle have become critical tools for feedyards looking to secure cattle and manage risk year-round.

Predictability Built on Relationships and Data

As beef-on-dairy moves into its next phase, predictable outcomes are coming from stronger partnerships. Partnerships now begin at breeding, with dairies and feedlots working together to reduce uncertainty down the line.

“We start with the dairy before the calf is born,” Belke says. “Once the calf arrives, we make an offer based on the current market. Then we get the data that goes along with that calf. In return, the dairy producer gets a credit back to the semen company that is more than the original cost of the semen. So, they receive day-old market value for the calf, plus more than their semen cost covered, and we get the calf.”

That early coordination creates value on both sides. Dairy producers are paid fairly and rewarded for their breeding decisions, while feedlots gain calves with known genetics and management history that can be tracked from birth through finish. Just as important, that data follows the animal through the supply chain.

“All of this data goes back to help us make smarter decisions for the next generation,” Belke adds.

Bryant says that feedback loop is becoming essential as programs scale and risk management becomes more complex. With calves sourced from many dairies, knowing how animals were bred, fed and cared for early in life makes a difference.

(Angie Denton)

“Our objective is to build relationships with the producer, their nutritionist and their vet so we can synchronize the program as best we can,” Bryant says. “It is slower than we would like, but it is worth it.”

As those relationships deepen, data is becoming the backbone of decision making. What started as basic record keeping is evolving into a system that actively guides breeding, calf care and marketing decisions.

“The more we know about these calves before they arrive, the better we can manage growth, feed efficiency and overall performance,” Bryant says.

Rather than just sharing information after the fact, producers and feedlots are beginning to use data in real time, predicting outcomes before calves leave the dairy and adjusting programs accordingly.

“When you track calves from birth through harvest, you can actually see how dairy decisions show up later,” Belke adds. “It helps everyone stay on the same page and make better choices.”

Looking ahead, transparency and collaboration are becoming part of doing business. Operations willing to share information and act on it are creating more consistent outcomes and setting the direction for where beef-on-dairy is headed next.

A Defining Shift

What began as a way to add value to unwanted calves has evolved into an integrated system shaped by genetics, data and collaboration. For dairies, it offers a way to strengthen economics during volatile markets. For feedlots, it provides dependable supply and predictable performance in an increasingly uncertain cattle landscape.

As native beef numbers remain tight and pressure mounts across the supply chain, beef-on-dairy is proving to be more than a trend. It’s the new normal. Producers who plan ahead, build strong relationships and think about the whole system are the ones seeing the benefits.

Bridging the Beef-on-Dairy Divide

Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:29:53 GMT

As beef-on-dairy has grown from a new concept to a standard production model, dairy producers, calf ranches and feedlots have found themselves working together more frequently than ever before. And while these partnerships have strengthened communication across the supply chain, disconnects remain.

At the 2025 MILK Business Conference, dairy producers and feedlot managers came together to address some of these pain points. Their conversation highlighted where progress has been made along with the areas where better alignment is still needed.

(Farm Journal)

Colostrum Management

Dairy producers often move beef-on-dairy calves off the farm quickly. But feedlot managers say those first few hours on the dairy, long before a calf is loaded onto a truck, have more impact on long-term health and performance than anything that happens later. How that calf gets started determines whether it enters the feeding system with a strong immune foundation or fighting an uphill battle.

“One of the disconnects that I see across the industry is what happens to that day-old calf,” says Eric Behlke, general manager of Blackshirt Feeders in Nebraska.

He stresses that when a calf misses out on high-quality colostrum, the consequences follow it all the way to the finish. For feedlots paying top dollar for these calves, that early-life setback is hard to overcome.

“The No. 1 predictor of a calf’s health is passive transfer,” Behlke says. “Did that animal receive colostrum? When there is failure of passive transfer or they don’t get colostrum, it is detrimental to their health.”

What frustrates buyers is that the solution is not complicated. Giving beef-on-dairy calves the same care as replacement heifers with timely colostrum, consistent protocols and clean environments is the quickest way to close the performance gap, yet feedlot managers say they still see too many calves entering the system without the foundational immunity needed to thrive.

Two sectors, two languages

Another disconnect is simply the language each sector uses. Dairy and feedlot teams might talk about the same calf, but the terms and phrasing can be different enough to make early conversations a little confusing.

Daniel Vander Dussen, a dairy producer in New Mexico, describes his early experiences selling calves.

“When I first started selling beef-on-dairy, I was selling some calves via video, and we were trying to set up a contract,” he says. “[The crew I was working with] were talking to me about one-way slides, two-way slides and base weights. I had no idea what any of that meant. I needed them to explain it to me in a way that I could understand.”

The terminology, pricing structures and expectations that are standard in the feedlot world can often feel foreign to dairies who have never been part of that marketing system. They do not need a perfectly shared vocabulary, but both sides need to understand what the other is talking about to create value together.

“Any time I had to the opportunity to ask ‘why’ or ‘what does that mean,’ I would,” Vander Dussen says. “It was a chance for me to get a better understanding.”

Sire Selection

Feedlots also wanted to clarify the idea that every beef-on-dairy calf needs to be sired by Angus. While Angus genetics remain a reliable choice, Tony Bryant, director of nutrition, research and analytics at Five Rivers Cattle Feeding emphasizes the best sire is the one that fits both the dairy operation and the needs of the eventual buyer.

“Color is one of the least important drivers on our grid,” he says. “A common misconception is that they all have to be black. That’s not true. There are a lot of advantages from other breeds, too.”

Perhaps the biggest tension point comes down to expectation and investment.

Being Adaptable

Today’s feedlots are investing heavily in beef-on-dairy calves, with prices reaching record highs. That level of spending underscores how much is at stake for both feedlots and dairies, making collaboration and flexibility more important than ever.

“A few months ago, these calves were $1,650. That’s a tremendous investment,” says Tony Lopes, a California dairy producer. “If they are going to spend that much, we need to show up at the table with an open mind.”

According to Lopes, this means being willing to reevaluate long-standing traditions such as genetic providers, sexed-versus-conventional strategies, the amount of beef semen allocated or even the type of beef breeds used.

He notes that what feedlots want most is a partner not just a seller. Someone who asks questions, understands finishing-system goals and adjusts where possible to produce a calf that succeeds through the entire supply chain.

“I’d stress to producers to be willing to reevaluate the way things have always been in order to ensure that the partnership with that transaction is successful,” he adds. “Make sure you’re doing everything within your power to be a good partner and to maintain that customer service relationship.”

The Path Ahead

Beef-on-dairy has evolved into a standard production model for dairy producers across the country, creating new opportunities and challenges for dairies and feedlots alike. Success for both sectors depends on strong communication and a willingness to adapt.

From early calf care to clear expectations and thoughtful genetic decisions, every step matters. Producers who embrace flexibility and focus on building partnerships will be best positioned to deliver healthy, high-performing calves and maintain long-term market relevance. Those who resist change risk falling behind in an increasingly competitive industry.

Siring Success: One California Farm’s Approach to Better Beef-on-Dairy Calves

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:50:02 GMT

Over the past seven years, Tony Lopes has steered his family’s fourth-generation California dairy through a remarkable transformation. Today, the family milks 5,000 cows across four locations, produces 3,800 beef-on-dairy crossbred calves and procures an additional 12,000-plus head from outside dairies and calf ranches annually, offering a model for other farms looking to diversify revenue and improve herd economics.

Lopes first got into beef-on-dairy during a period of expansion when the farm had extra pen space and a surplus of heifers.

“Beef-on-dairy was becoming the trendy thing to do, and it coincided with us going through an expansion,” he says. “The first question we had to ask ourselves was if we breed some of these lower-end animals to beef, can we still produce enough heifers. The answer was yes. It was a crawl-before-you-can-walk kind of experiment.”

Once the operation confirmed they could meet replacement needs using sexed semen, they stopped using conventional semen entirely and began focusing on generating as many beef-on-dairy cross calves as possible.

“From the first calves that hit the ground, we backgrounded them and sold them in small gooseneck loads. The math kept working, and as our volume increased, we moved up to 50,000-lb. loads,” Lopes recalls.

Over time, the program evolved even further. They now take calves in as day-olds or at 400 lb. to 450 lb., raising them to 700 lb. to 750 lb. before marketing. This growth gave Lopes the confidence to take full control of the genetics behind the operation.

“The entirety of our beef-on-dairy program today is sired by our own Angus genetics,” Lopes explains. “By 2022, we had enough data to confidently procure our own bulls, and in seven years we’ve gone from knowing nothing about the feedlot side of beef-on-dairy to making it an incredibly big piece of our operation.”

Not Held Back By Tradition
“I’ve always had a passion for genetics and have been interested in what genetic inputs can result in better performance outputs,” Lopes says.

So, when beef-on-dairy began gaining traction, he found himself watching the space closely.

“When we were all starting out, there were a lot of questions,” Lopes recalls. “It seemed like the whole industry, at the same time, was trying to figure out what to breed our cows to. Every stud company, every region, at that point, had a little bit of a different answer.”

After experimenting with several breed compositions, the decision ultimately came down to market demand.

“What drove our decision to go Angus was just buyer demand,” Lopes says. “From an animal husbandry standpoint, we were trying to do everything we could to raise a good quality calf. And as we were building relationships with buyers, they were pretty consistently saying: ‘Hey, we’d really prefer if you just made these all Angus.’”

Lopes emphasizes that genetic decisions on the farm are driven by data and economics, not tradition.

“We’re big believers in making genetic decisions based on dollars and cents as opposed to just a biased opinion or tradition,” he explains. “When we started getting kill data back and looked at the economic drivers of our decisions, we arrived at a conclusion: These are the trait compositions that are going to result in more profitability.”

That analysis led the farm to source a specific set of elite Angus bulls, genetics they couldn’t consistently find in any single company’s lineup. According to Lopes, the breed’s data quality, quantity and large population size made it a logical choice for maximum genetic progress.

“Fortunately, in the Angus seedstock world, elite genetics are well distributed throughout the industry,” Lopes says. “There are a substantial number of bull sales every spring and fall. We were able to find the bulls most elite for the traits we care about, and that just kind of grew from there.”

Still, choosing to buy and use their own bulls came with uncertainty at first.

“It was a little leap at the time, but as we continue to aggregate more and more data, we’re very glad we made that investment and very confident in the performance advantages we’re seeing from our selected sires,” Lopes says.

Data-Driven Decisions
Lopes relies on rigorous data collection and economic modeling to guide breeding decisions.

“Everything we do is built into an economic model from the standpoint of profitability,” Lopes explains. “We look at all the things that go into what we’re asking the animal to do. We’re asking the animal to hang the heaviest carcass possible in the shortest number of days.”

It’s a model that pushes the operation to look beyond individual traits and consider how they work together. The goal isn’t simply to make better cattle but to make cattle that deliver the greatest economic return.

“We’re financially incentivized not just for pounds but for quality. If a carcass grades Prime and we’re chasing the best feed conversion, we have to evaluate those trade-offs,” Lopes says. “A 1% gain in feed conversion versus a 1% increase in Prime percentage delivers very different financial outcomes. Our system converts each of those factors into dollar-and-cents projections so we can prioritize which traits deserve the most weight in our selection process.”

But to understand which traits truly move the needle, the process starts with the carcass data connected to each animal.

“We receive kill data on every individual carcass and tie it back to that animal’s ID — hot carcass weight, backfat, ribeye area, marbling score, yield grade and more,” Lopes says. “We can link all of it to genetics and to management factors like sex, birth date, colostrum score and how many times the calf was treated for pneumonia or other illnesses.”

When those metrics are layered together, the picture becomes much clearer.

“By combining all these data points, we can isolate the genetic components from management influences,” he says. “That helps us make smarter decisions about both genetic selection and day-to-day herd management.”

Eyes on the Future
Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, Lopes remains bullish on the future of beef-on-dairy.

“I would say there’s a lot of people who think we can’t make any more beef-on-dairy calves than we are now. I don’t share that opinion,” Lopes says. “Producers could likely produce more calves with an optimized approach, using sexed semen and beef genetics. Even in five years, regardless of where beef prices are in the cycle, I think beef-on-dairy will remain a mainstay in the industry. It’s transformational for genetic progress, herd efficiency and revenue.”

On the replacement side, he sees a market that is tighter than ever but still overstocked in certain areas.

“Almost every dairy has fewer heifers than in recent memory, but some still have more than they need,” Lopes says. “Cull rates and herd management mean many farms are comfortable with lower turnover, yet heifers exist — just not where they’re needed. I know I’m in the minority, but I think there’s still an overabundance relative to actual demand.”

For his own operation, Lopes plans measured growth in 2026.

“We’re looking to expand the number of calves we bring in and work with strong operators across the western United States,” Lopes says. “The market is uncertain. Recent futures and processing news make it hard to know whether we’re sourcing at high or low values, but we’re confident there’s still value in beef-on-dairy calves, and we intend to continue growing.”

How Beef and Dairy Genetics Are Smarter and More Profitable

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:12:49 GMT

Understanding your customer’s needs, the power of data and the need for continuous innovation is key to the success of beef and dairy producers. Lorna Marshall, Select Sires vice president of beef genetics, emphasizes the critical role of technology, data and strategic breeding in creating value in the industry today.

Marshall was the featured guest in “ The Future of Beef Show ” podcast Episode 13 .

Her perspective highlights the beef industry’s evolution from traditional breeding methods to a more sophisticated, technology-driven approach.

Marshall’s journey in the artificial insemination (AI) industry spans decades. She explains the AI industry has seen significant consolidation during her career — from 15 cooperatives to now three to four major organizations. She says Select Sires remains the only cooperative AI organization in the U.S.

“Whatever I see happen in the dairy world, beef is going to follow it in five to seven years,” she explains.

Key takeaways from the podcast include:

1. Beef-on-Dairy Evolution: The beef on dairy market has transformed dramatically since 2018, creating more valuable cattle by crossing beef bulls with dairy cows.

She says AI companies are focusing on terminal traits for beef-on-dairy, creating bulls specifically designed for producing high-value feeder cattle.

The biggest challenge in the beef-on-dairy space is semen fertility. Marshall acknowledges male-sexed semen would be a good option for beef-on-dairy, but the conception level is not where it needs to be today.

“Fertility is three times more important than any other trait,” Marshall explains about working with dairy producers. “Sexed semen, while we have really improved that product a lot, it still does not have the same level of fertility and conception rate.”

She adds management and cow fertility play a role in the success of sexed semen conception so it is something that can be considered herd by herd, not something implemented across the entire dairy population.

“If I could figure out how to improve bull fertility,” she says. “That would be the No. 1 thing I could do to improve business for Select Sires, or really, any AI organization.”

Fertility is not highly heritable, and there can easily be a 20-percentage-point difference between high and low bulls.

“The thing I love most about beef-on-dairy is, I love data, and I, finally, for the first time in my career, have data to play with,” Marshall says.

2. Genomic Testing: There’s a growing potential for genomic testing in beef cattle, similar to what’s been done in the dairy industry, to improve genetic selection and herd performance.

“If I was a commercial beef producer, I’d be wanting to test my commercial females and figure out who are really the elite ones,” she explains. “And then let’s go build our replacement heifers out of those.”

3. Breed and Genetic Trends: Genetic selection is becoming increasingly precise and data driven. The future of beef genetics lies in comprehensive trait measurement and genomic understanding.

She also emphasizes the beef industry’s evolution from single-trait selection to a more comprehensive strategy.

“There is always a pendulum changing or swinging,” Marshall says. “You’re always going to have people that are more willing to go out on those pendulums farther than others. And that’s what I love about our commercial industry, they always kind of keep the seedstock industry a little bit grounded.”

She explains at Select Sires they strive to provide the customer what they really want.

“We need some of those extremes, honestly, to kind of move the industry forward in different areas,” she says. “Look what we’ve done on traits like marbling. We’ve totally changed the beef demand dynamic, because we’ve created a more palatable product that our consumers really like.”

Comparing the seedstock and commercial beef industries, she says seedstock producers generally select for extreme in traits trying to be breed leading.

“Our commercial customers have almost always selected more for balance,” she summarizes. “But really the secret sauce to getting bulls that are going to sell lots of semen would combine phenotype and genotype, and then their pedigree is always important.”

Marshall predicts the industry will continue to develop new traits that we don’t measure today.

“We may get rid of some of the traits that we have and measure things in a much more profitable way, like age to harvest,” she adds.

She also emphasizes the need for bulls that will produce the next generation of the nation’s cow herd.

“We better have some maternal bulls in our lineup, because beef producers are ready to start rebuilding the cow herd,” Marshall says.

4. Labor Barrier for AI : The labor needed for synchronization is a critical challenge in AI adoption.

Marshall identifies labor as the primary barrier to increasing AI adoption.

“Until we figure out how to synchronize that cow with less labor, it’s going to be really hard to move the needle in a significant way,” she says.

Marshall summarizes the future of the beef industry relies on these four strategies:

- Embracing technological innovation
- Maintaining genetic diversity
- Focusing on commercial producer needs
- Continuous learning and adaptation

Check out the podcast to learn more about how Marshall believes how data, genetics and innovation is shaping the future of beef cattle production.

Success From The Start: Calf Health Starts Before Birth

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 13:11:35 GMT

If a calf struggles during its first 60 days of life, it’s going to carry that through all phases of production. Starting a calf, whether in a traditional beef or beef-on-dairy scenario, the right way is paramount to the lifetime health of that animal.

This is the message stressed by Dr. Taylor Engle, Four Star Veterinary Services, during episode eight of “ The Future of Beef Show ” podcast. He says success starts before a calf is born.

“There are a lot of really good genetics in the beef industry we can use. However, if you put that calf in an environment to fail, genetics does not play a factor,” he says. “We have to do everything right from an environmental piece to maximize the genetic potential.”

Check out the podcast to learn more about these five key messages discussed by Engle and the podcast’s hosts:

Environment matters more than genetics. Engle emphasizes if you put a calf in an environment to fail, genetics won’t save it. Management and early life conditions are critical to an animal’s success.
Calf health starts before birth. Proper care of the cow before calving, quality colostrum and a clean birthing environment are crucial for a calf’s lifetime health.

Engle encourages producers to think about the cow’s condition before, during and after breeding.

“Everyone gets really fired up — and rightfully so — about colostrum. Not all colostrum is created equal,” he says. “It’s what we are doing to set that cow up to have the best colostrum for that calf. Whether it’s beef-on-dairy or native, the right vaccines for the right diseases at the right time matters.”
Communication is key across the production chain. Sharing information about calf health, vaccination history and management practices between different stages of production can significantly improve overall animal performance.

Engle encourages producers to record vaccination and treatment information and then share it. Communicating with the feedyard is important to help the feeder decide on how to treat cattle.
Don’t be quick to treat — understand the root cause. Instead of immediately administering antibiotics, veterinarians should first investigate the underlying management or environmental issues causing health problems.

“We were trained to think it’s a disease, and more often times than not, there is a disease present. But there’s been something along the process where we have stressed that animal and caused disease,” he explains. “We’re always looking at it from an environmental standpoint and a management standpoint — the calf isn’t the culprit. What’s going on? Why did that calf break with respiratory disease? They don’t spontaneously get sick. Something happened. Was it a weather, feed or stressful event?”

He adds management strategies and mentality can be keys to determining the cause of a sickness.

“It’s a hard thing — whether you’re a nutritionist or vet — to have that hard conversation with a producer, be upfront with them and say, ‘It’s something we’ve done,’” he says. “A lot of times, there’s management practices that messed up along the way, and the result is a disease.”

In his practice, he works with the producer to help them understand and recognize the management strategies to improve the outcomes.

“In the beef industry, a lot of the mentality is, ‘We’ve never done it this way,’” he says.
“In comparison, in the poultry and pig industries, producers will say, ‘If it increases my production, I’ll do it.’ They have the mentality of being willing to give something a try to see if it increases health.”

Engle adds, “I always tell producers if you want A results, you got to give A effort,” he explains. “You can’t have a C -plus effort and expect A results.”
Stress management is more important than treatment protocols. Focus on reducing stress and creating optimal conditions for calves, rather than relying solely on medical interventions.

“The calves don’t lie,” Engle says.

He emphasizes the importance of careful observation, advising producers to “read calves every day” and make real-time adjustments.

Beef-on-Dairy Calf Health
Engle also has extensive experience with beef-on-dairy calf management and production and discussed how those animals compare to traditional beef calves, highlighting how multiple touch points and movements bring beef-on-dairy calves unique challenges — including different feeding systems and varied vaccine and management protocols at each location.

As a positive, he says, “In the beef-on-dairy space, we have all the data points, or we have the opportunity to collect all the data points. Then you can start making decisions.”

With this complex — but data-rich — production model, there is significant potential for improving calf health and performance.

Engle challenges producers to think holistically about animal health, management and production.

“It’s not the animal that’s usually causing the problems,” he says in summary. “It’s usually producer’s management or oversight. As farms have gotten bigger, the skill gap as we go higher actually closes. Everybody who has 10,000-head of cattle on feed, or more, probably knows a lot about feeding cattle. But what are you going to do for a competitive advantage that the next feedyard isn’t? I think a lot of that’s looking internally at your management strategies and your consulting team. It’s a team effort to get to where you want to be. Set those goals and look at what you need to do better to be where you want to be in the next five to 10 years.”

Managing Your Transition Pens May Be a Black and White Issue

Thu, 03 Jul 2025 17:00:00 GMT

Times have changed in the dairy industry.

An industry that used to have most of its profitability model driven by milk production suddenly has been thrust into a new age.

One might argue a black and white age.

Drought, retirement and years of challenging beef markets has feedlots turning to America’s dairies for help. Opening up their coffers at an unprecedented level, all to answer the growing shortage of beef cattle inventories.

This new cash infusion has ushered in a new age for dairy producers. In this age up to 2/3 of their dairy cow’s annual profit could be driven not by milk, but by the type of calf she has on “Day 0" of that lactation.

(American Farm Bureau Federation)

According to CattleFax and the American Farm Bureau Federation America’s dairy farmers have embraced this new model. Purchases of beef semen by dairy producers has gone from 2 million units in 2014 to almost 10 million in 2024. There are even whispers of some dairies changing their business model from milk as a primary production goal. Instead thinking of it as a secondary by-product of a system made to make as many dairy-beef cross calves as quickly as possible.

This mentality shift means that some of our dairies will see upwards of 50 to 75% of their cattle receiving beef semen. Creating ever increasing numbers of cross calves while using cheaper semen often with better conception rates.

However, there appears to be unintended biologic side effects from this shift. One of which is a backup in our pre-fresh pens.

Talk to any dairy and they will share with you the story of the dairy-beef cross that is 8-10 days overdue. They’ll often ask me what should we be doing with these animals? A complex question and best handled on a case-by-case basis with your herd veterinarian.

But it’s not these outliers that are causing issues on our dairies.

It’s the less noticeable example. Cows are going 2-7 days over the 278-day gestation we’ve come to expect from our Holstein cattle. These cows put undue strain on our pre-fresh pens; designed for 45–60-day dry periods.

Prefresh groups can quickly backup with dry periods going >70 days and pre-fresh pens becoming over-crowded. These small changes in cow flow cause significant issues in the post-fresh pen; risking 2-3x increases in fresh cow disease.

Beef and dairy animal gestation lengths.

(ICBP)

According to ICBP, the largest Beef Genomics database in the world, in general our beef breeds can be expected to go 4-12 days past the expected 278-day gestation. If our industry wants to truly embrace this model, then we will need to adjust our management.

A good start is to work with your herd vet and stud to investigate your current gestational averages by semen type. If you identify problem sires you can consider shortening dry period length for the affected groups, change semen breed type, or examine expanding your facilities to accommodate the 6-20% increase in pen duration.

Also, keep your ears and eyes open. Researchers continue to identify genetic markers for determining gestational length. It’s not inconceivable that in the coming months to years these markers, or an index combining them, could be added to your bull proofs.

Rising Beef Prices and Demand Fuel Big Change for the Dairy Industry

Thu, 13 Feb 2025 15:30:00 GMT

The beef cattle industry is evolving, and dairy producers are playing a pivotal role in that transformation. At the 2025 CattleCon, hosted by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in San Antonio, Texas, Lance Zimmerman, a senior beef analyst at RaboBank, joined Agri-Talk host Chip Flory to break down the latest USDA Cattle Inventory Report.

Beef Demand Drives More Crossbreds
Despite the U.S. beef cattle inventory hitting a 64-year low, strong consumer demand has propelled beef prices to record highs throughout 2024 and into 2025.

“We’re sitting here today coming out of 2024 with higher per-capita beef consumption than we had in 2022, and we thought that was the cycle high. And yet, we are pushing record-high beef prices—demand is exceptionally good,” Zimmerman noted.

With beef prices remaining strong, dairy producers have fine-tuned their repro programs to capitalize on these market conditions. Many are utilizing sexed dairy semen on their highest-performing cows to ensure a steady supply of replacement heifers while breeding the rest of the herd with beef semen. This approach results in crossbred calves better suited for beef production, offering improved feed efficiency, enhanced carcass characteristics, and greater market appeal compared to straight dairy steers.

The Ripple Effect
Even as more dairy producers adopt beef-on-dairy breeding strategies, overall calf numbers have remained stable. “We had a very prolific cow herd last year,” Zimmerman noted. “And I think part of that is due to the beef-on-dairy mix. We’re keeping these cattle viable longer and managing them more intentionally with better health, genetics, and overall care throughout the system.”

One notable outcome of this shift on the dairy side of the equation is a tighter supply of dairy replacement heifers, which has contributed to rising prices. “We have dairy replacement heifers that have hit $4,000 a head in some areas,” Zimmerman said, emphasizing the supply constraints caused by more selective breeding practices.

USDA data confirms this supply squeeze. The latest annual Cattle Report revealed that as of January 1, only 3.914 million dairy heifers were available nationwide—a 0.9% drop from the previous year and the lowest inventory recorded since 1978. Additionally, USDA made a significant downward revision to its 2024 estimate, cutting its projection by 108,000 heifers to 3.951 million.

Another factor influencing cattle supply is the ongoing decline in veal production. “We’ve seen a long-term trend of fewer calves going into veal production, and that’s expedited in recent years,” Zimmerman noted. This shift means that more dairy progeny calves are staying in the fed cattle supply, further reinforcing the beef-on-dairy movement.

Beef Demand Holds Strong
While the genetic landscape of the beef supply chain is transforming, consumer demand remains resilient. “The strength of demand has been incredible—beef demand is at 30-year highs,” Zimmerman said. He points out that, despite rising prices, beef remains relatively affordable compared to historical income ratios. “In 2014-15, the average consumer had to work 14 and a half minutes to afford a pound of beef. In 2024, they only have to work 13 minutes.”

With consumer demand for beef remaining strong, the beef-on-dairy sector has become a crucial asset to the beef industry. It has also helped dairy farmers diversify by adding a second source of income during a time when milk price margins continue to remain tight.

Click here to hear Zimmerman’s full conversation with Chip Flory on Agri-Talk.

Beef-on-Dairy: This Iowa Dairy's Strategic Approach for Success

Tue, 19 Nov 2024 15:00:00 GMT

The beef-on-dairy sector is booming – and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down. What started as a trend more than a decade ago has quickly grown into a steady and reliable profit stream for dairy farmers across the country. Just ask Ted and Megan McAllister, part owners of McAllister Family Dairy, LLC., in New Vienna, Iowa.

Roughly six years ago, Ted and his brother, Rob, who co-owns the operation, decided to make a strategic investment in their herd’s reproductive program. Before this shift, the operation still relied heavily on herd bulls. Today, the farm utilizes 100% artificial insemination and has implemented genomic testing and Allflex activity monitors onto their 280-head herd of Holsteins and Jerseys. This significant shift in their breeding approach not only elevated their herd’s genetic potential, but also opened the door to using beef semen on some of their lower-performing cows

Betting on Beef-on-Dairy

With dairy bull calves fetching too little money to justify raising them, the McAllister’s saw using beef semen as a logical step to improve their operation’s profitability. By incorporating beef genetics, they could enhance the value of their bull calves, tapping into a more profitable beef market.

McAllister Family Dairy, LLC.

(McAllister Family Dairy, LLC.)

“But what really drove our decision to start incorporating beef semen into our breeding program was genomic testing,” Megan says. “We wanted to fully take advantage of that technology and create the best replacements possible. That meant managing our heifer inventory and not raising anything extra.”

With guidance from Dave Erf, a reproductive consultant from Zoetis, a genomic based breeding plan was put in place and today the McAllister’s use beef semen on 60% of their lactating animals and 25-30% of their heifers. This shift in their breeding strategy has made up the foundation of the farm’s current reproductive program.

Knowing Their Numbers

When the McAllister’s went all-in on beef-on-dairy, they recognized the importance of precisely managing their herd numbers. This required them to pinpoint exactly how many replacement calves were needed, determining how many first-calf heifers should join the milking herd, and calculating the ideal monthly cull rate.

“We ship our milk to Prairie Farms and operate within their base system,” Ted notes. “So, we are kind of capped on the amount of milk we can produce. That means we only need to create a few replacements each month for the herd to remain at its current size.”

Knowing they were limited on the amount of milk they could produce, the McAllister’s worked alongside Dave to create a yearly genetic audit to help give them a better snapshot of their genetic progress. Through this audit, they set targets to produce about 12 heifer calves monthly while maintaining a 30% cull rate and keeping 30% of the herd as first-calf heifers.

“We really look forward to that audit each year because it allows us to see if we are hitting our benchmarks,” Megan says. “It’s fascinating seeing those numbers and it allows us to be really picky with which animals we are choosing to make replacements from.”

In addition to tracking genetic progress, the audit and genomic results enable the team to make more precise breeding decisions. Using these insights, the McAllister’s select replacements who are expected to be the most profitable in the lactating herd. This strategy allows them to prioritize cows with strong longevity and productivity, while reserving beef semen for animals less likely to stay in the herd long-term.

“When we know an animal is going to get bred to beef, we try to pick angus beef sires that have higher fertility and better calving ease traits,” Ted adds. “We have a steady flow of elite replacements being born each month, and the beef-on-dairy calves make up the rest.”

Megan notes that no matter if the calf is a crossbred or a future replacement, every calf gets treated the same.

McAllister Family Dairy, LLC.

(McAllister Family Dairy, LLC.)

“Everything gets two feedings of colostrum before being switched to milk replacer,” she says. “We raise these calves for about 1-2 weeks then sell them at our local sale barn. We’ve been really happy with how these calves have turned out and what they are selling for.”

Adding Another Profit Line

For the McAllister’s, incorporating beef-on-dairy has been a financial game-changer for their operation. This has especially held true over the past 12-24 months as beef prices have seen a significant increase.

McAllister Family Dairy, LLC.

(McAllister Family Dairy, LLC.)

“We wouldn’t be where we are at today without these beef-on-dairy calves,” Megan says. “They’re easily our third largest source of income behind milk and cull cows. From our perspective, we have to breed cows anyway, so you might as well make more profitable calves – and it’s certainly working for us.”

Labor savings has also been a significant benefit. Raising fewer replacement heifers has reduced labor demands in the calf barn and has freed up pen space for older heifers animals.

“We only rely on a few outside people for help,” Ted notes. “Otherwise, it’s just the three of us running the ship. Having fewer calves to take care of and less overcrowded pens to manage has really helped us from a labor standpoint.”

This shift in management has allowed the McAllister’s to concentrate more on raising high-quality replacements for their future milking herd while also saving some time.

“Our time is our most valuable asset,” Megan adds. “Spending less time caring for calves has freed up some hours for other parts of our life – whether it’s focusing on a different area of the farm or having a little extra time for ourselves. That time saved is invaluable.”

A Look at the Market Ahead

McAllister Family Dairy, LLC.

(McAllister Family Dairy, LLC.)

From coast-to-coast, dairy producers like the McAllister’s have capitalized on the high prices beef-on-dairy calves have provided. And according to Dr. Woerner, animal and food science professor at Texas Tech University, these prices are likely to remain elevated for the foreseeable future.

“Beef-on-dairy calves have contributed tremendously to the bottom lines of the dairies producing them. And the good news is that the forecast looks really good for that trend to continue,” Woerner explains. “This is primarily because of the shortage in traditional beef cattle numbers. But beyond that, beef-on-dairy cattle have carved out a stable, respected place in the market, proving their value to both buyers and packers.”

With ongoing extreme drought conditions and feed shortages affecting various parts of the country, Woerner notes that the native cattle herd is unlikely to rebound any time soon.

“Most models suggest we’re looking at a minimum of three years before a significant rebuild begins, with some projections extending up to five years,” Woerner adds. “For dairy farmers, this means that every straw of beef semen used on a dairy cow today will likely yield calves that continue to bring premium prices over the next few years.”

Woerner also highlights that the demand for beef-on-dairy calves isn’t solely due to the shortage in traditional beef cattle. Some of their popularity also stems from their carcass quality and sustainability impacts.

“These animals are entering the market steadily and have become highly efficient in the feedlot, with nearly all grading choice or higher,” Woerner says. “Packers are paying attention to that. Additionally, the beef-on-dairy crossbred offers a unique advantage for companies committed to reducing their carbon footprint, as these animals are among the easiest options for carbon accounting and securing carbon credits. This sustainability factor is significant; in fact, it may be the very reason these cattle continue to command high prices, even as the beef cattle supply eventually rebounds.”

While it’s clear that beef-on-dairy crossbreds offer substantial benefits to both packers and dairy producers alike, Woerner points out one notable drawback: a higher incidence of liver abscesses.

“The one major downside to these crossbred cattle is still the liver abscess issue,” Woerner says. “They are a costing packers time and money for them to deal with. But there is so much research being done, so the presence of liver abscesses in these cattle should improve as time goes on. And if we’re able to get the level of liver abscesses down to that of the conventional population, then I truly believe these cattle could be in higher demand than native beef.”

A Lasting Strategy

For the McAllister’s, incorporating a beef-on-dairy into their breeding program has been a transformative aspect to their operation. From increasing profitability to cutting down on labor needs, the benefits of crossbreds have been plentiful. And when asked if they would consider discontinuing it, their answer was a definitive “no.”

“It fits into our plan so perfectly,” Megan says. “I couldn’t imagine dairy farming today without it.”

Woerner believes this sentiment rings true for dairies across the nation, as beef-on-dairy continues to prove its value in both the beef and dairy industries.

“It’s proving to be more than just a trend—it’s becoming an essential part of the model for dairies and a critical piece of the future for both sectors,” Woerner says. “I’m confident that beef-on-dairy is here to stay.”

Social

Follow the McAllister family’s journey by connecting with Megan on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok at @Megan_DairyGirl

Your Next Read: Secrets to Success with Precision Cow Monitoring Systems

The Impact of Beef x Dairy Calves

Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:14:37 GMT

The most common question I get at market outlook presentations is “What is the market impact of all these beef on dairy calves?” There seems to be a perception that these calves represent an additional number of cattle beyond the traditionally available cattle inventory data.

Historically the dairy industry bred all cows to dairy genetics, using the 50 percent heifer calf crop to ensure sufficient heifers from which to select the best genetics for the milking herd. The male calves and culled females became part of the beef industry. The growing production of beef x dairy crossbred calves in recent years is the result of increased commercial feasibility of sexed-semen technology. With sexed-semen, dairy producers can target the production of dairy replacement heifers in a subset of genetically superior cows. This frees up the remaining dairy cows to utilize beef genetics and produce crossbred calves.

Straightbred dairy steers and heifers are heavily discounted in beef markets because the light muscled animals produce carcasses with less desirable muscle conformation. Beef x dairy crossbred calves are significantly more valuable because the resulting carcasses have improved muscling and carcass conformation. Straightbred dairy calves not used for milk replacements previously entered the beef market simply as a residual, with limited or, sometimes no, value in the beef industry. In contrast, beef x dairy cross calves are a significant source of revenue for dairy producers and are subject to management choices regarding genetics and production. Numbers are uncertain but a significant percentage of potential non-replacement dairy calf production today are beef x dairy crosses.

USDA-NASS estimated the Jan. 1, 2024 inventory of dairy cows at 9.36 million head. The dairy herd is relatively stable and has only varied by 130 thousand head, or 1.4 percent, from maximum to minimum in the last ten years. The dairy industry contributes an average of roughly 26 percent of the total U.S. calf crop each year. The contribution of the dairy industry to beef production does not change significantly year to year although the relative share of dairy in beef production increases slightly when the beef industry declines cyclically. Growth in production of beef x dairy crossbred calves does not represent any net additional production of cattle but rather a change in the genetic composition of dairy calf production.

Dairy production, including beef x dairy calves, are included in the cattle inventory and production data that are routinely available. Calf crop, cattle on feed, and slaughter data and other data include beef and dairy sectors and therefore already account for the beef x dairy calves now being produced in the dairy sector. Beef x dairy calf production is not having much impact on total beef production and market prices beyond what is already considered in market analysis. There are some impacts in specific meat markets because the beef cuts from beef x dairy carcasses may have access to markets previously closed to dairy beef. Arguably, the biggest impact of beef x dairy production is the blurring of the historical demarcation between beef and dairy sectors in the U.S.

Embryo Surrogacy – The Next Dairy Niche?

Fri, 09 Aug 2024 16:21:17 GMT

From composted manure and beef-cross calves to methane-powered electricity and renewable natural gas, dairies continue to explore paths to garner bonus revenue beyond the traditional cash crop of milk.

The latest idea may be another collaboration between dairy producers and their beef cattle brethren: embryo surrogacy. Or stated another way, renting out uteruses.

“Right now, there are so many more embryos sitting in tanks than sitting in cows,” declared show stock photographer J. Brad Hook of Humeston, Iowa, host of the “ Genuine JBH ” podcast. Hook lamented that in the beef cattle show stock world, breeders have made remarkable strides in genetic analysis and mating that consistently produce excellent offspring. But what has not kept up with the breakneck pace of genetic progress and embryo development is the recipients in which to put them.

Hook explained that the supply of embryos has far outstripped the availability of beef recipient animals, especially in today’s high-dollar-value beef industry. “Recip” cows currently are extremely expensive to purchase. Custom beef recipient herds are largely booked, and also have increased their prices considerably due to the value of the animals. Today, the average take-home cost of an embryo born to a beef recipient is $4,000-$5,000 per calf, not even counting the price of the embryos.

Enter the humble dairy cow. She has to have a calf every year anyway, and in many cases, she may not be a chosen dam to create a replacement heifer for the dairy. So why not put a beef embryo in her, with a guaranteed price over market value for the calf?

That’s exactly what Lynchburg, Ohio club calf breeder Jake Osborn is doing. Osborn and his son, Wyatt, are partnering with an 800-cow Ohio dairy to bring to life the overflowing supply of embryos that are sitting in their tanks and others’ across the country. Last year they started with 9 embryos that resulted in 6 live births. But next year Osborn Show Cattle plans to produce about 150 calves via surrogate dairy dams.

“The appealing part about this situation is that the dairy is able to synch up a large number of recips at the same time,” noted Osborn. “You can get a whole string of calves from the same mating, born within just a few days of each other.”

Osborn said the attention to breeding details and readiness of dairy dams also results in considerably higher conception rates at the dairy. “At my place, a 20-30% conception rate on embryos was pretty common, which is not real conducive to making money,” he shared. “Currently, we’re running 55-70% conception in the dairy cows, which is way better on IVF embryos than I’ll ever do at my house.”

And the calves themselves? Hook attested that when he viewed Osborn’s spring sale calf line-up this year, he couldn’t tell them apart from the dam-reared calves in terms of growth and conformation. Osborn noted that the quality of the calves was due largely to the efforts of an excellent caretaker at the dairy. Ultimately, he worked out an arrangement to pay her a bonus on the embryo calves based on their sale price.

Another benefit was the disposition of those show calves. Purchasing families were delighted to take home animals that were broke to lead and tame and ready to go. “You can buy one for your 10-year-old and not have to worry about them getting hurt,” shared Osborn. “They’re a lot different than a calf that has been at the side of a normal recip cow.”

For the dairy, the value lies in the premium price they are paid for the calves, which Osborn said is above the healthy $800-900-per-head price they are currently receiving for their own beef-cross calves. The dairy owns the embryo calves until weaning at 60-90 days, then sells them back to the embryo contractor.

In further collaboration with the dairy, Osborn also plans to put embryos into cows identified on the cull list. After dry-off at the dairy, they will be sold at a premium price over cull value and raise their embryo calf, plus a couple more grafted onto them.

Looking forward, Hook and Osborn noted even more related business opportunities, such as custom raisers who would take the embryo calves at birth and rear them specifically into show cattle. The ability of dairy cows to calve out beef embryos also may be an avenue for purebred beef breeders to create more offspring. Plus, it could help rebuild the commercial beef cattle herd in the U.S., which is currently at its smallest size in more than 70 years.

“Not everyone is going to be good at this,” Osborn stated. “It really takes a special dairy – someone who knows a lot about nutrition and management, and really cares about calves.”

Sexten: Lessons From the Dairy Industry

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 13:57:52 GMT

You will be hard pressed to find a current beef publication that doesn’t reference beef on dairy calves somewhere in the copy as the number of dairy cows bred to elite beef producing bulls continues to grow. The ability to produce a steady and sufficient supply of elite dairy replacement heifers has been enabled by two technologies widely adopted in the dairy industry: genomic testing and sexed semen. The widescale use of these technologies offers a window into the future of the beef production system.

A recent article₁ in Frontiers from George Wiggans and Jose Carrillo at the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding reviewed the impact of genomic testing in dairy cattle genetic improvement. This review and the associated changes in the dairy production model highlight the ability to change selection focus when we expand beyond simply using bulls as the source of genetic improvement.

Since 2011, the number of dairy cows evaluated using genetic testing has doubled every five years to exceed one million annually. Don’t miss that the use of genetic testing is doubling in COWS. Growth in the use among sires is flat, as less than 1% of sires used in dairy matings are not genetically tested. Since genetic testing for dairy sires is table stakes, this has enabled the reduction in the sire generation interval to the point where genetic improvement is occurring at the biological limit.

Knowing the individual genetic merit of the cow herd enables the strategic mating of tested cows to either produce dairy replacements or be mated to beef sires. With the advancement of sexed semen further specialization is enabled, as the by-product of targeted matings is virtually eliminated.

Beef producers are now competing with a dairy whose by-product is feeder calves. The characteristics of this by-product address three key challenges of the native beef supply chain: eliminating seasonality of supply, easily sourced in load lots and uniform management despite individual sorting early in life. While there is much attention to beef from dairy cows, the percentage of the beef supply chain originating from dairies hasn’t changed nearly as much as the genetic potential of the cattle themselves.

Imagine a production system where sire genetic improvement is occurring at the biological limit coupled with a cow herd that that turns over every four years. Despite dairy cows being productive for about half as long as a beef cow, genetic testing in dairy herds exceeds that of beef herds. The dairy model has moved their genetic focus from selecting replacements from a system to creating the replacements needed for their system.

The Net Merit score is an index used in the dairy industry to implement genetic selection of replacements. How would you weight the following areas if designing the net merit index: milk yield, milk components, health, longevity, reproduction, efficiency, and physical characteristics?

The article from the Council on Dairy Cattle breeding1 outlined the weighting of the current net merit index: milk components (48.3%), longevity (20.8%), efficiency (13.2%), reproduction (9.6%), health (4%), physical characteristics of feet and udder (3.8%) and finally milk yield (0.3%). Anyone else surprised the lowest category of emphasis is milk yield? Perhaps dairies have reached the limit on milk yield. A similar case could be made for weaning weight and milk production in the beef herd where we are limited more by the environment than genetic potential for productivity.

The emphasis on milk components suggests making progress enhancing the composition of milk is more important than total yield. From a beef production perspective carcass merit would be similar to component improvement. There are few beef selection indexes where the composition of carcass gain is more important than the gain itself. Cattle feeders recently proved with cheap feed and days on feed beef carcasses weights can be increased to record levels, perhaps it’s time to change focus to ribeye area and marbling.

The ability to select for longevity, efficiency, and reproduction is not limited to dairy cows. Beef producers have genomic tools available today to make genetic progress in all these areas, yet few operations have adopted genomic testing for any traits. In an industry where feed costs make up the greatest percentage of operating costs and reproduction is the most important production trait; we should not continue to ignore the tools available to make progress in these areas. Beef producers can select replacements designed for our production systems before ever turning out a bull.

Some suggest the dairy model doesn’t apply to beef systems due to the diverse environment. Every cow herd has environmental constraints that limit stocking rate comparable to the limited number of parlor spots in a dairy. If you are trying to optimize the production of beef per acre is a replacement selection model where keeping the biggest and oldest heifer calves with little knowledge of their genetic merit or variation within those females the best way to optimize the land resource?

(Farm Journal)

Beef-on-Dairy: Why Feedlots Crave This Important Information

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 14:37:24 GMT

Within the last five years, the number of purebred dairy animals that have passed through feedlots has shrunk drastically. What used to be a purebred Holstein steer has now become a beef-on-dairy cross, and it’s estimated almost 23% of the total number of fed steers and heifers within the U.S. are actually coming from dairies.

According to Dr. Aimee Halfa, a beef innovation lead at Cargill, there are several reasons why these beef-on-dairy animals have seen explosive growth. One of the biggest spurs from the severe drought that has blanketed most of the Midwest, which in turn has forced herd reductions amongst the beef industry.

With the conventional beef herd currently in a liquidation phase, feeder calf prices have skyrocketed, triggering a supply and demand issue between the beef industry and feedlots. Dairy producers, however, have helped fill the pipeline by producing beef-on-dairy calves, and have turned a hefty profit in doing so.

Feedlots and Consumers Crave Knowledge

Not only have beef-on-dairy animals proven their worth within the beef supply chain system, they’ve also won over consumers with their overall consistency.

“The beef industry has always been segmented and variable,” Halfa told the audience during the Dairy Strong conference held in Green Bay, Wis. “We have cattle that originate from variable genetics, different production systems and different environments. All of this is feeding into a system where our customers and consumers want to be able to purchase a steak, hamburger or whatever kind of beef product they want and have the same eating experience every single time. Additionally, they want to know exactly how that animal was raised. This is where dairy can contribute nicely to our system.”

According to Halfa, beef-on-dairy cross animals work well in the beef industry because they are so uniform. And because of this, dairy farmers have the opportunity to contribute quality beef to the pipeline while also turning a sizeable profit. To do so, however, requires producers and feedlots to breed and feed these animals efficiently. And 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.

Health Records

No matter what age beef-on-dairy animals are sold, buyers want to see that the animals they are purchasing were well cared for. In particular, feedlots are looking for beef-on-dairy animals who were given colostrum, vaccinated and who have been exposed to a minimum amount of stress.

“One thing we’ve known for a while in the beef cattle industry is that disease, specifically respiratory disease, has a big impact on animal performance and carcass quality,” Halfa says. “Knowing when and what vaccinations or antibiotics were used along with having information on any health events is really valuable data to pass along.”

By knowing the animal’s health status before it enters, feedlots can make more informed treatment decisions and better understand a specific animal’s performance metrics.

Nutrition Records

When a beef-on-dairy calf makes its way to the feedlot, the transition can be a stressful one. Just the dietary changes alone can be a challenge, Halfa notes.

“One area I see some operations struggle with is the transition from a calf grain to a feedlot TMR,” she says. “This is a really challenging point in these animals lives and when it’s not done correctly, you can really miss out on some good performance during a time when you should be capturing great feed efficiency and gain.”

To help make the transition a bit smoother, Halfa recommends dairy producers provide feedlots with the nutritional information of beef-on-dairy calves sold after weaning.

“Providing feedlots with previous diet information along with when the animal was weaned are two excellent pieces of data to pass along,” Halfa says. “Bonus points should be given to producers who track an animal’s average daily gain. Communicating that captured level of information can be really helpful for the next person feeding those animals.”

Additional Areas to Focus On

Besides providing health and nutritional information, Halfa says there are several other ways dairy producers can work to keep the buyers of their beef-on-dairy animals happy.

Communication - Regardless of who you are selling your animals to, communication and a well-established relationship will always be essential.

“Ask questions, get feedback and make improvements,” Halfa says. “People who are feeding or buying your cattle love to get information on the animals they are purchasing, and its valuable information dairy producers can provide. Prioritizing communication is an excellent way to help secure future business relations.”

Traceability – Knowing exactly how and where an animal was raised can be a big-ticket advantage for feedlots looking to buy animals who are predictable and consistent. According to Halfa, this is an area where dairy producers excel.

“When it comes to traceability, the beef industry has a lot of hurdles. The dairy industry, however, has a great opportunity to provide a traceable beef product much easier and quicker,” she says.

Dairy farmers are no strangers to providing quick and accurate information. In turn, not only does this help supply buyers with valuable information, but it also opens doors of opportunity to increase market access and build up your farm’s reputation of producing high-quality animals.

Metrics = Money

Whether you are selling your beef-on-dairy animals to a private buyer or a commercial feedlot, knowing the specific data points these buyers are looking for can help bring additional value to the animals you bring to market. Failing to pass this information along could be cause you to leave extra dollars on the table.

“Beef-on-dairy animals have the potential to add quality cattle to our fed beef supply,” Halfa says. “If you are going to look at breeding dairy animals to beef, it’s important to understand the metrics behind how these animals should be handled and fed within feedlots in order to sell them for a healthy alternative income stream.”

For more on beef-on-dairy, read:

How to Increase the Marketability of Beef-on-Dairy Calves

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 14:00:00 GMT

Many farms have become more innovative over the past few years by implementing beef genetics into their breeding programs. There have been two main advantages to adopting beef on dairy: management of replacement numbers and increased market value of the calves leaving the farm. A Wisconsin study found that 65% of the farmers surveyed sell their dairy beef crosses within the first week of birth, while 12.5% raised them to finish. No matter when beef cross calves are being marketed, steps can be taken to make them more marketable.

Don’t Skip Day One of Calf Care

The calves are not staying on the farm, but they should be treated like any other replacement animal. Dip navels with 7% iodine, administer proper vaccinations, and feed high-quality colostrum. Colostrum should be greater than 50 IgG to be considered high quality. Some farms have concerns about using their high quality colostrum on calves that may leave the farm. Many farms have had luck keeping their colostrum stocked by saving 50 to 70 lgG colostrum for market calves and greater than 70 for replacement heifers. Just like with replacement heifers, ensure colostrum is fed within a couple of hours of birth.

Track Calf Growth

For those marketing weaned calves, track average daily gain. Calves should have an average daily gain of approximately 1.5 lbs per day or double their birth weight by 8 weeks of age. Tracking weights weekly by using a weigh tape or portable scale will help determine whether these goals will be met. Collecting calf weights will also help determine when to vaccinate. Respiratory vaccinations should be given between 400 and 500 pounds. Ensure vaccinations are given at least two weeks before being transported from the farm.

Keep Health Records

Health records are extremely important when selling calves to a private buyer or through a contract. No matter what age the calves are marketed, buyers want to see that the calves are well cared for. Keep track of and provide vaccination and processing records. Signs of navel infections and respiratory disease will decrease the calf’s value. By collecting passive transfer for each calf, the farm can prove that the calves were given high-quality colostrum to set them up for future success. Being able to prove that providing the buyer with healthy calves by providing health records and sound calves will make your calves more marketable.

For more on beef-on-dairy, read:

8 Reasons Why Beef-on-Dairy Makes the Perfect Cross

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 19:44:38 GMT

The beef-on-dairy revolution is booming. What started as a trend more than a decade ago has quickly grown into a reliable profit stream for dairy farmers across the country. 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.

“Even though we’ve gotten to a position to where beef-on-dairy is becoming more well-known, the reality is dairymen have been beef producers all along – whether that’s been through cull cows are bull calves,” says Dale Woerner, Professor and Cargill Endowed Professor at Texas Tech University. “However, as beef prices have crept up, the beef-on-dairy segment has seen an explosion.”

Just five years ago there were approximately 25.4 million cattle fed through feedlots that were harvested year-over-year, according to Woerner. Traditionally, about 5.1 million of those animals had been purebred dairy heifers or steers. However, this number has seen a drastic change.

“Since 2018, we’ve seen a major shift with beef-on-dairy crossbreds. We don’t know exactly how many of these animals are coming through as crossbreds, but we’re confident that it’s over 3.25 to 3.5 million head of beef-on-dairy cross animals that used to be strictly purebred dairy,” Woerner says.

This proportion has grown tremendously within the last few years, and it is estimated that almost 23% of the total number of fed steers and heifers within the U.S. are actually coming from dairies.

So, what’s the reason for this recent spike? As a result of widespread drought across the mid- and southwest, the beef cow herd has shrunk significantly. However, with more and more dairies relying on beef-on-dairy calves to help turn a profit, these operations have helped fill the meat cases.

“The dairy segment of the beef industry has grown in significance the last few years even more so than it had traditionally,” Woerner adds. “It’s created the perfect storm and that’s why you’re seeing the exceptionally high values.”

As more dairy crossbreds make their way into the marketing chain, Woerner and his research team have closely examined the characteristics of these animals and the products they yield, compared to their full-blood dairy and beef cousins. Their findings regarding major performance and carcass data – via retrospective data evaluation, and their own research -- include:

Feedlot growth – Close-out data evaluations show that the average daily gain and feed-to-gain ratio of crossbreds is significantly better than Holsteins and similar to conventional beef cattle. Woerner said crossbred finishing times that are about 20% faster than Holsteins promote a positive message about sustainability because they produce the same amount of beef in a shorter timeframe and on less total feed.

Quality grade – The Texas Tech researchers found the percentage of crossbreds that grade Choice or higher is roughly equal to, if not better than, conventional beef animals. They appear to inherit the superior marbling capability of their Holstein ancestors but at a faster finishing pace.

Carcass yield -- Crossbreds have a lower dressing percentage than full-blood beef animals, at least partly because they are leaner and thus have lighter carcasses relative to their live weight. They have, on average, an intermediate fat thickness at the 12th rib between that of full-blood beef and dairy animals. Overall, they have higher red meat yield than dairy carcasses, and the best crossbreds are comparable to, or even better than, conventional beef cattle.

Eating quality – A recent study by Woerner’s group showed full-blood Holsteins still take first place in terms of tenderness, followed by crossbreds and then conventional beef. Crossbreds led among the three in terms of superior flavor, with the most “fat-like” and “buttery” flavor ratings. Overall, they were scored the second-most desirable in terms of eating quality behind Holsteins.

Meat color – A major downfall of traditional dairy beef is that it has a darker color and lacks the “cherry-red” appearance of conventional beef, which consumers prefer. The difference is so distinct that most retailers will not market dairy beef and conventional beef in the same meat case. The Texas Tech researchers found that crossbreeding removes the coloring problem, and also results in an additional 12-24 hours of color stability. “This is a huge change in our industry,” Woerner says. “Rather than segregating Holsteins, we can now sell crossbreds together with conventional cattle.”

Muscle shape – The smaller, narrower, and more angular shape of finished Holstein loins has long been a drawback for dairy beef. The Texas Tech researchers found that crossbred longissimus (loin) muscles are larger and rounder than Holsteins, and that consumers could not distinguish their shape compared to those from conventional beef cattle.

Consistency – Dairy animals produce a consistent supply of offspring year-round, which helps improve market stability. Today’s dairy cattle also are highly consistent genetically, creating potential for excellent offspring consistency with correct sire matings.

Traceability – “Record-keeping on U.S. dairies is superior to most conventional beef operations,” Woerner says. “That information on birthdate, performance data, and sire identification is highly valuable for branded beef programs and international markets.”

For more on beef-on-dairy, read:

Gene-Editing Technology Produces First Calf Resistant to BVDV

Tue, 09 May 2023 20:23:56 GMT

Scientists have collaborated to produce the first gene-edited calf with resistance to bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), a virus that costs the U.S. cattle sector billions of dollars annually.

The recent study published in PNAS Nexus results from a collaboration between the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), the University of Kentucky, and industry partners, Acceligen and Recombinetics, Inc.

BVDV is one of the most significant viruses affecting the health and well-being of cattle worldwide, and researchers have been studying it since the 1940s when it was first recognized. This virus does not affect humans but is highly contagious among cattle and can cause severe respiratory and intestinal diseases.

BVDV can be disastrous to pregnant cows because it can infect developing calves, causing spontaneous abortions and low birth rates. Some infected calves survive to birth and remain infected for life, shedding massive amounts of virus to other cattle. Despite more than 50 years of vaccine availability, controlling BVDV disease remains a problem since vaccines are not always effective in stopping transmission.

However, over the past 20 years, the scientific community discovered the main cellular receptor (CD46) and the area where the virus binds to that receptor, causing infection in cows. Scientists modified the virus binding site in this recent study to block infection.

Aspen Workman , lead author and researcher at ARS’ U.S. Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in Clay Center, Nebraska, said, “Our objective was to use gene-editing technology to slightly alter CD46 so it wouldn’t bind the virus yet would retain all its normal bovine functions.”

The scientists first tested this idea in cell culture. After seeing promising outcomes in the laboratory, Acceligen edited cattle skin cells to develop embryos carrying the altered gene. These embryos were transplanted into surrogate cows to test whether this approach might also reduce virus infection in live animals.

It worked, and the first CD46 gene-edited calf, named Ginger, was born healthy on July 19, 2021. The calf was observed for several months and then later challenged with the virus to determine if she could become infected. She was housed for a week with a BVDV-infected dairy calf that was born shedding virus. Ginger’s cells displayed significantly reduced susceptibility to BVDV, which resulted in no observable adverse health effects.

The scientists will continue to closely observe Ginger’s health and ability to produce and raise her own calves.

This proof-of-concept study demonstrates the possibility of reducing the burden of BVDV-associated diseases in cattle by gene editing. The edited calf also represents another potential opportunity to lessen the need for antibiotics in agriculture since BVDV infection also puts calves at risk for secondary bacterial diseases. This promising trait is still in the research phase and no associated beef is entering the U.S. food supply at this time.

The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in U.S. agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact.

Rewriting the Genetic Code of Livestock

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:13:38 GMT

(Bloomberg) --

For nine nerve-racking months beginning in the summer of 2014, Dan Carlson waited for his lab experiments to be born. Carlson and his team at the biotechnology startup Recombinetics had made a small tweak in the genetic code of dairy cattle in an attempt to prevent the animals from growing horns. Now, that edited DNA was being copied over to the cells in fetuses growing in their surrogate mothers.

No one had tried this before, so it wasn’t clear it would work. And compared with the mere days it takes for the cutting-and-pasting of genes to complete in culture dishes, the months-long pregnancies were agonizingly slow. “You hope everything is going well,” Carlson says. “You’re expecting it to come out without any horns or horn buds, but you just don’t know.”

As is common with cloned animals, most of the embryos never made it. But Buri and Spotigy, two calves born in April 2015, were free of the telltale bumps that eventually sprout into horns. That meant they would be spared the fate of millions of U.S.-raised cattle, whose horns are removed. It’s a practice Carlson knows his own father, a farmer, struggled with. The painful procedure is done to prevent the cows from goring one another or their human overseers.

Scientists like Carlson—who are manipulating DNA to not only improve animal welfare, but create better crops and treat human disease—are one of the hottest commodities today in biotechnology. U.S. job postings for the profession surged 64 percent over the last two years, according to the job search site Indeed.com.

People like Carlson can do this work thanks to two methods, both discovered less than a decade ago, that have made gene editing cheaper and easier. The technique used to develop Carlson’s hornless cows is called TALEN; the more famous one, which came slightly later, is called CRISPR. Carlson is now involved in several projects that employ gene editing in animals, including one that keeps pigs from reaching puberty so they need not be castrated.

Carlson first became fascinated with genetics as a high school student, when his father started planting genetically modified corn. “They were taller. They didn’t have any problems standing up. They were essentially the best crop that I ever saw my dad produce,” recalls Carlson, who went on to get his PhD in animal sciences with an emphasis in biotechnology and molecular genetics. “From that moment on, I was like, ‘This technology is for real. It can really make a difference.’”

Before scientists like Carlson change the world, they’ll need to persuade the government as well as a skeptical public that gene editing is safe. In the U.S., the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration have taken different stances on the issue. The former has been hands-off; the latter proposed guidelines in 2017 that would treat gene editing in animals as a kind of drug, and therefore would require companies to seek approval introducing altered animals to the food supply.

Neither Spotigy nor Buri is alive today. The former was slaughtered last year so scientists could examine his meat (it was normal). Buri was euthanized last month, but not before becoming a father to six horn-free calves. One, named Princess, is female. She should be old enough in a little more than a year to have her own calves and start producing milk. Recombinetics plans to examine the milk for signs of abnormalities.

Carlson is so confident about the milk’s safety he says he wouldn’t hesitate to feed it to his three children. Jennifer Kuzma, co-director of the Genetic Engineering and Society Center at North Carolina State University, is more cautious. She notes that gene editing tools sometimes slip up by making insertions or deletions in unintended parts of the genome

Kuzma also says there needs to be a broader conversation about the underlying ethics of the technology. “With these genetic engineering techniques becoming easier to implement and more powerful too, we’re at a critical point where things could change in the natural world,” she says.

In May, Recombinetics moved one step closer to commercializing its technology, announcing a partnership with Canadian semen distributor Semex. The two companies plan to spend the next few years working with regulators in Canada and the U.S. Absent significant obstacles, we may live in a world in 20 years in which no cow would ever need to be dehorned, Carlson says. “Whether this strain of animals takes off, it’s really up to the government and public acceptance,” he says. “I can’t do a lot about those things. I’ve just got to do my job.”

Copyright 2018, Bloomberg

Vytelle, Growsafe Combine To Accelerate Bovine Biotechnology

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:58:38 GMT

Vytelle and GrowSafe Systems, Ltd. announced the combining of their companies with the aim of accelerating genetic advances in bovine biotechnology. The companies will operate as a single precision livestock company under the Vytelle brand to drive the mission to meet the global demands for producing more high-quality protein, more sustainably, and with more profit potential for cattle producers, according to a statement by the company. Both companies are owned by UK-based Wheatsheaf Group.

“By uniting two of the most forward-thinking businesses in the cattle industry, we will help ensure that meat and milk are viable and competitive food choices for generations to come,” said Dr. Alan Barton, Operating Advisor Wheatsheaf Group and Chairman of the Board for Vytelle.

Kerryann Kocher has been named Vytelle’s new Chief Executive Officer, bringing decades of experience in animal health, feed ingredients, and protein production to the company.

“With the world literally hungry for protein, and the recognition that our industry must meet rising food demand while reducing resource intensity, there is a clear need to integrate precision livestock technologies and support our customers in their production of sustainably sourced meat and milk,” said Kocher.

With the combined capabilities of the new Vytelle, cattle producers will be able to convert individual animal performance data into genetic progress faster than ever before. Linking genetic insights available only through GrowSafe’s proprietary efficiency database with breakthrough IVF technology, Vytelle’s customers around the world will be able to shorten the interval between elite animal identification and optimal marketing of those genetics within the beef and dairy value streams.

“Identifying resource-efficient animals is a key challenge for cattle producers, and breeding to perpetuate resource-efficient traits in a far shorter timespan than traditional methods improves producer profitability and sustainability,” Kocher continued. “Our goal at the new Vytelle is to close the feedback loop between genotype and phenotype, helping beef and dairy producers fast-forward generational advances by matching genetic traits to optimal outcomes for our customers and the environment; developing new capabilities to make this a reality is the major focus of our R&D program.”

Vytelle is part of the Wheatsheaf Group, an international investor in food and agriculture focused on creating efficiencies in the production and distribution of food, developing innovative business models and technologies to deliver affordable, nutritious and safe food that sustains both human health and the health of the planet.

About Vytelle IVF

Vytelle IVF provides revolutionary reproductive technology to beef and dairy producers throughout North and South America, with expansions underway in the United Kingdom, Australia, and China. Vytelle is committed to advancing genetics, life and business for commercial beef and dairy producers around the world.

About GrowSafe

GrowSafe Systems Ltd. builds advanced animal agriculture systems to help producers optimize their operations. GrowSafe’s advanced data acquisition platform features integrated hardware and software analytics that provide producers with data to make better decisions for their operations. Today, GrowSafe is helping to raise more efficient, environmentally friendly and healthier animals in 16 countries across the world.

Select Sires Reveals Cooperative Merger Creating Premier Select Sires

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:53:45 GMT

Combining forces, the Select Sire Power, Inc. and Southeast Select Sires, Inc. will officially become one and renamed Premier Select Sires, Inc. effective Jan. 1, 2019.

The same specialists who currently serve beef and dairy customers will continue to support their local member-owners, only as part of a larger team with a wider network of in-house support, according to Select Sires. Premier Select Sires will combine the territories of the two previous cooperatives, covering a total of 23 states.

These states include:

Maine
Vermont
Maryland
New Hampshire
Massachusetts
Delaware
Connecticut
New York
Pennsylvania
New Jersey
Rhode Island
West Virginia
Virginia
North Carolina
Florida
Kansas
Tennessee
Arkansas
Louisiana
Mississippi
Alabama
Georgia
And Washington DC

“Premier Select Sires is the result of combining two financially strong cooperatives in order to benefit both memberships with pooled resources. We look forward to working together to continue to be the Premier genetic provider,” said Tim Riley, General Manager of Southeast Select Sires, in a press release.

Because of an aligned set of strengths and goals, the boards of Select Sire Power and Southeast Select Sires unanimously approved the affiliation agreement.

“This is a very exciting time for both organizations and we look forward to charting a successful future together. The larger cooperative will allow us to provide greater diversity of products and services to meet the modern needs of beef and dairy producers throughout our territory,” said Mark Carpenter, General Manager of Select Sire Power and future CEO of Premier Select Sires.

This is not the first merger the company has experienced throughout the past two years. In June 2017, Select Sires and Accelerated Genetics announced that Select Sires would acquire the assets of Accelerated Genetics.

This news also comes after the announcement of the holding companies Alta Genetics and GENEX forming their new organization, URUS. The intent to merge Koepon Holding BV and Cooperative Resources International (CRI) was first announced last December. Included in the merger are the following companies: AgSource , Alta Genetics , GENEX , Jetstream Genetics , PEAK/GENESIS , SCCL and VAS .

Holstein, Simmental Associations Partner with Beef-Dairy Cross Program

Thu, 12 Nov 2020 05:53:22 GMT

A branded program has been established by two major cattle breed associations to help producers who are utilizing beef on dairy crosses on their farms.

The American Simmental Association (ASA) and Holstein Association USA (HAUSA) announced the creation of the HOLSim branded program on April 9. HOLSim identifies SimAngus bulls with genetic traits that will work for dairy producers.

The three pronged approach aims to:

Provide additional revenue to dairy producers through the production of value-added terminal calves.
Offer new marketing avenues for progressive beef seedstock operations.
Offer a consistent supply of high-quality calves better situated to capture market premiums.

“Holstein producers now have the opportunity to easily participate by simply selecting from the list of HOLSim bulls carried by their semen provider,” says Chip Kemp, ASA Director of Commercial and Industry Operations. “Through the International Genetic Solutions platform, we took a breed agnostic look at what type of beef bulls make the most sense to complement a Holstein female to add the most profitability to the terminal calf.”

To qualify for the HOLSim program bulls must meet the following parameters:

Homozygous black
Homozygous polled
Minimum birth weight accuracy of .4
Meet a minimum threshold in the HOLSim Index

SimAngus bulls that qualify for the program are eligible to bear the HOLSim logo in all marketing and promotional material.

The IGS Feeder Profit Calculator (FPC) is utilized in the HOLSim Index. Using FPC, the index is able to calculate economic situations relevant to Holstein cattle, namely, the need for added calving ease, muscle conformation, grading ability and sensitivity to carcass length.

John Meyer, CEO of Holstein Association USA, believes the breeding program has the potential to change the beef-on-dairy dynamic.

“Instead of just breeding Holsteins to a black beef bull, now dairy farmers can breed to a SimAngus bull that ranks high on the HOLSim index. By doing that, they can raise more profitable offspring coveted by both the feedlot and the consumer,” Meyer says.

Calves must come from Registered Holstein dams and be bred to SimAngus bulls identified through the IGS Feeder Profit Calculator.

“To my knowledge, this is the first time that a beef and a dairy breed association have collaborated to have a specific program to benefit both organizations and their respective members and industries,” Meyer says.

More imoration about HOLSim can be found by visiting simmental.org or holsteinusa.com , or by contacting Darin Johnson at 802-451-4048, or via email.

The following SimAngus bulls are eligible for the breeding program as of April 2019:

Animal Reg Nbr Animal Name Animal Reg Nbr Animal Name

3253063 2E EL DORADO 1E 3344847 IR CAPITALIST E041

3358946 5GF HR 8006 3344814 IR CAPITALIST E071

3381624 5GF HR 8023 3344929 IR CAPITALIST E075

3042611 ASR SUPER BALDY C5122 3344944 IR CAPITALIST E104

3370554 BAR CK BOTTOMLINE 7028 3062953 IR DUNDEE C889

2912129 BAR CK SNOOZE 4015B 3437184 IR F118

3043246 BAR CK 225Z 5191C 3344824 IR MAKERS MARK E044

2808981 BAR CK 38K 915Z 3210728 IR NIGHTRIDE D948

2912142 BAR CK 57X 4028B 3210730 IR OPPORTUNITY D950

3235353 BAR CK PROVISION 6068D 3344851 IR PROSPERITY E107

2809020 BAR CK RODGERS 1004Z 3217690 IR ROBUST D932

3256190 BGIBBS 6240D MAS 4346B 2628568 J BAR J NIGHTRIDE 225Z

3452018 BGL UP RIVER F186B 3281730 JC MR RIVER 020E

3401037 BHSF FHG 38K 641A 222E 3281718 JC MR ZEUS 9201E

3337082 BHSF FHG BEACON 700D 3433254 JC052F

2909046 BHSF PROGRESS 652A 3500805 JC3013F

3478337 BLACK BALANCER 6028 3433316 JC555F

3137515 BRIDLE BIT MR D636 3433292 JC610F

3271399 BRIDLE BIT MR E709 3433261 JC631F

3291807 BROWN ADV AVIATOR E4537 3433269 JC688F

3291826 BROWN ADV BOULDER E4532 2628542 J-J 201Z

3191780 BROWN ADV MR ZEUS D3031 3394630 J-J MR BLK H FRIDE 831F

3191758 BROWN ADV N. RIDE D3029 2895078 K M J B69

3241285 BROWN FSCR AUGUSTUS D209 2849266 K M J BROMLEY B52

3508008 CAMP F8037 3118390 KS AIKMAN D934

3305894 CBL 5E 2977716 KS BATMAN C9234

3078668 CCLC GAME CHANGER B4007 2977449 KS IRON MAN C477

3323132 CCLC MR A3005 E730 3452222 KS MR BOZEMAN F45

3323110 CCLC UPGRADE E707 3259450 KS MR HOME RUN E312

3323112 CCLC UPGRADE E709 2977707 KS SPIDERMAN C7364

3323113 CCLC UPGRADE E710 3268894 LMS PRIME TIME E06L

3323114 CCLC UPGRADE E711 3434548 LOCK N LOAD/1106 W315E

3323124 CCLC UPGRADE E721 3313961 LOCK N LOAD/1106 W780E

3298018 CCR ABSOLUTE 5048E 3313963 LOCK N LOAD/1106 W784E

2720274 CCR ATLAS 0346Z 2969485 LRS 1007C

2880390 CCR BOULDER 1339A 2983741 LTA MR STEP FOCUS

3437417 CCR BOULDER 5131F 2983743 LTA MR STEPN FORWARD

3402023 CCR BOULDER 5555E 3475188 M4 CONVICTION 852F

3437503 CCR BOULDER 6171F 3522736 MCDF BEACON DUAL GAMBLER 8101F

3297857 CCR GRADUATE 3027E 3350201 MCDF COMBO PREMIUM 7165E

3245761 CCR GRADUATE 4512D 3350169 MCDF COMBO VALUE 7171E

3297833 CCR HANDY MAN 2120E 2675278 MCDF DUAL COMBO 262Z

3402008 CCR YUMA 5533E 3350286 MCDF NITERIDE COMBO 7111

3152334 CDI 260D 3522835 MCDF RANCHER JUMP START 8110F

2853893 CLRS BOBCAT 607 B 3522710 MCDF ROBUST DUAL GAMBLER 8188F

2853939 CLRS BOURBON 604 B 3005441 MR WEF INSTINCT 11C

3399333 CLRS FINALIST 380F 3318045 NLC 159E

2735698 CLRS GRADE-A 875 A 3189968 NLC 22D

3087234 DIXON NS PRIME CUT C529 2897686 NLC BARRETT 11B

2697009 DIXON PRIME CUT NS Z209 3160956 OPEN 8 BOZEMAN 691

3056867 DRCK COWABUNGA C21 3345269 PBS-MANIFEST E244

3132024 DRI MAJOR UPGRADE C228 3471934 PBS-PROSPECTOR F83

3180486 EGL DATATRAC 04D 3474619 PPSR BRUISER 105F

3355442 EGL EMERGENT 70E 3311045 RC EASY ANSWER 060E

3355412 EGL EVEREST 25E 3163432 RC EASY ANSWER 093D

3498940 EGL FIRESTEEL 103F 2864036 RC EASY ANSWER 137B

3498942 EGL FIRESTEEL 104F 3252583 RC EASY ANSWER 267D

3498944 EGL FIRESTEEL 110F 3102026 RC EASY ANSWER 269C

3498946 EGL FIRESTEEL 111F 3102031 RC EASY ANSWER 274C

3498947 EGL FIRESTEEL 115F 3102048 RC PREMIUM BEEF 440C

3498948 EGL FIRESTEEL 116F 3409821 RC SIGNIFICANT 464E

3498949 EGL FIRESTEEL 117F 3038663 RC TOP GRADE 131C

3498754 EGL FUSION 16F 3402703 RCR F27

3498766 EGL FUSION 34F 3009938 REDHILL 225Z 160Y 138C

3498771 EGL FUSION 37F 3396688 REDHILL 231A 158B 96F

3330163 ES EC43 3088128 REDHILL 231A 191Z 303C

3481780 ES FX85 3278479 REDHILL 231A 53A 106E

3409199 EWA 7158 OF 3160 BEACON 3395137 REDHILL 294C 281C 356E

3275236 FAUTH PARARAMPAGE 705E 3501041 RFS F632

3275237 FAUTH PROFIT MOUNT 631D 3462183 RFS F7

3337463 FSCR BEACON E185 3426339 RHODES BEACON F64

3337522 FSCR BEACON E206 3426350 RHODES BEACON F82

3337507 FSCR BEACON E207 3476119 RKNWHRT BLACKHAWK 82F

3337493 FSCR BEACON E209 3476120 RKNWHRT BOULEVARD 76F

3337517 FSCR BEACON E210 3294184 RL4 RYMO OLIE POWER F53E

3337524 FSCR BEACON E223 3071124 RLWF NIGHT STRIKER C5274

3234764 FSCR D117 PIRATE B065 3438346 RYMO NICKELBACK K21F

3405128 FSCR F034 3438363 RYMO REVENUE PACE A09F

3405130 FSCR F036 3469647 S D S CONSTITUTION 899F

2622776 GCCR EASY ANSWER Y108 2999063 S D S HOOVER DAM 505C

3104722 GIBBS 5063C HOME RUN 3297282 S D S NIGHTRIDE 703E

3104726 GIBBS 5096C NIT 3290A 3297317 S D S NIGHTRIDE 714E

3104849 GIBBS 5729C COMMANDER 3240536 SF FHG BEACON D90

3256503 GIBBS 6121D TUR W858 3520573 SFG NIGHTRIDE F803

3256504 GIBBS 6155D SUPER DUTY 3045754 SFG3 C205 OF 231A X Z349

3256508 GIBBS 6235D TUR Y531 3486914 SHEL AVIATOR 8378F

3256246 GIBBS 6271D BOL 0609X 3250490 SLN ZEUS 43E

3256369 GIBBS 6427D BOL Y608 3403084 SOUTHERN 045F

3256395 GIBBS 6785D STA 2431Z 3383012 SOUTHERN 1510E

3404218 GIBBS 7022E TRP 5781C 3275795 SOUTHERN 7192E

3404224 GIBBS 7069E TRP 5015C 3383029 SOUTHERN BLK HAWK 383E

3404237 GIBBS 7143E TRP 5095C 3383049 SOUTHERN BLK HAWK 802E

3404240 GIBBS 7177E TRP 5286C 2630148 SSF BLK PRE-DEST Y796

3404317 GIBBS 7180E BOL 5751C 3301622 TFS BLACK SAND 7450E

3088732 GW BLUE COLLAR 399D 3020350 TFS DREAM DOCTOR 5656C

2832529 GW COUNTRY BOY 142B 3460307 TFS REMEDY 8437F

2954746 GW DUAL GAMBLER 029C 3460308 TFS REMEDY 8438F

2954745 GW JACKPOT 027C 3184294 TFS RESOURCE 6407D

3012758 GW PROSPECTOR 389C 2899309 TRPH MR NIGHTRIDE B13

2954741 GW TRIPLE CROWN 018C 3050958 TRPH MR NIGHTRIDE C24

3295296 GW VINDICATOR 312E 3254252 WS LIGHT SPEED E230

3242801 GW-SCC BREAKTHRU 596E 3498031 XXL FUSION 267F

2725800 GW-TF STEP OUT 827Z 3406034 YON HOOVER DAM F154

3423770 HAYS ADMIRAL F08 3246071 YON NIGHTRIDE E352

3273753 HAYS PROPHET E02 3246100 YON NIGHTRIDE E440

3336704 HHR ACHILLES E047 3245966 YON NIGHTRIDE E685

3484469 HHS HOME RUN 836F 3436064 YON NIGHTRIDE F1103

2838197 HHS MR CLEAR PROGRESS 517B 2744919 YON OLIE A188

3013502 HOOK`S CAPITALIST 37C 2980116 YON OLIE C758

3132826 HOOK`S DELANO 87D 3097710 YON OLIE D784

3403355 HOOK`S FEDERALIST 43F 3097616 YON OLIE D806

3403333 HOOK`S FORTE` 21F 3246090 YON OLIE E353

3403336 HOOK`S FUTURITY 24F 3436070 YON OLIE F1109

3062936 IR ABSOLUTE C872 3436053 YON OLIE F1140

3062940 IR ABSOLUTE C876 3436095 YON OLIE F1331

3358314 IR ABSOLUTE E027 3406097 YON OLIE F690

3062949 IR ALUMNI C885 3406120 YON OLIE F691

3210743 IR ALUMNI D963 3406079 YON OLIE F822

3210731 IR BEACON D951 3406082 YON OLIE F997

3358284 IR BEACON E010 3406076 YON SUBSTANCE F352

3344912 IR CAPITALIST E040 3246004 YON WEIGH UP E418

Download the bull list in xlsx format.

That's the brakes!

Sun, 08 Nov 2020 17:26:17 GMT

In case you missed it you can now share the -8-25-20 evening of absurdity with nationally-syndicated cartoonists Leigh Rubin, creator of the comic strip “Rubes,” and Wisconsin State Journal editorial cartoonist Phil Hands. This odd couple riffed off each other’s cartoons, demonstrated how the twisted minds of two different cartoonists work. If you’ve ever wanted to learn from a professional smart-aleck or full-time doodler, now’s your chance!

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMKXBYXOkHQ

Beef Genetics News

Beyond the Black Hide: Why Your Beef-on-Dairy Strategy Could Be Costing You $66,000 a Year

The Powerhouse of the High Plains

The Scarcity Premium Versus Price Dispersion

What Beef-on-Dairy Gets Right

The Financial Reality: Genetics as Brand Equity

Hitting a Moving Target

The Next Chapter

U.S. Bovine Semen Slipped 4% in 2025, Exports Hit Record $327M

China Closes Doors, Global Markets Evolve

A Down Year for Dairy

Beef Semen Sees a Bump

Beef-on-Dairy Genetics Hold Steady

Adaptive Trends and Future Opportunities

Are Beef-on-Dairy Calf Prices the New $24 Milk?

Zoetis to Acquire Neogen’s Animal Genomics Business

Beef-on-Dairy is Becoming a Bigger Engine for the Beef Supply Chain

Breeding With the Beef End in Mind

From ‘Black Holsteins’ to Beef-Calf Performance

Performance Trends from the Packer’s Rail

Processing Challenges Inside the Plant

Growing and Permanent Force

Why Fiber Quality Matters More for Beef-on-Dairy

Different Genetics, Different Requirements

Why Low-Quality Fiber Doesn’t Cut It

Is Cheap Roughage Costing You Gain?

Quality Over Quantity

The New Age of Beef-on-Dairy is Here

From Skepticism To Standard Practice

What To Consider

Begin With The End In Mind

Feedlots Crave Consistency

Predictability Built on Relationships and Data

A Defining Shift

Bridging the Beef-on-Dairy Divide

Siring Success: One California Farm’s Approach to Better Beef-on-Dairy Calves

How Beef and Dairy Genetics Are Smarter and More Profitable

Success From The Start: Calf Health Starts Before Birth

Managing Your Transition Pens May Be a Black and White Issue

Rising Beef Prices and Demand Fuel Big Change for the Dairy Industry

Beef-on-Dairy: This Iowa Dairy's Strategic Approach for Success

The Impact of Beef x Dairy Calves

Embryo Surrogacy – The Next Dairy Niche?

Sexten: Lessons From the Dairy Industry

Beef-on-Dairy: Why Feedlots Crave This Important Information

Feedlots and Consumers Crave Knowledge

Health Records

Nutrition Records

Additional Areas to Focus On

Metrics = Money

For more on beef-on-dairy, read:

How to Increase the Marketability of Beef-on-Dairy Calves

Don’t Skip Day One of Calf Care

Track Calf Growth

Keep Health Records

For more on beef-on-dairy, read:

8 Reasons Why Beef-on-Dairy Makes the Perfect Cross

For more on beef-on-dairy, read:

Gene-Editing Technology Produces First Calf Resistant to BVDV

Rewriting the Genetic Code of Livestock

Vytelle, Growsafe Combine To Accelerate Bovine Biotechnology

Select Sires Reveals Cooperative Merger Creating Premier Select Sires

Holstein, Simmental Associations Partner with Beef-Dairy Cross Program

That's the brakes!