Proving that livestock producers are forward thinkers, Maureen Hanson shares an embryo surrogacy project that may help develop more revenue for a dairy and provide a dam for beef embryos sitting in tanks. Source: Drovers, August 9, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: We noted a number of potential benefits from this collaboration, including synchronization of many cows together, … [Read more...]
Search Results for: beef + dairy
Declining cull cow numbers reflect shift from beef-on-dairy trend
Dairy producers are enjoying the cash flow improvements from the beef-on-dairy market, which is lowering the number of cull cows marketed and increasing the purchases of semen. The beef-on-dairy trend is also challenging the number of replacement dairy heifers available and prioritizing the purchase of gender-sorted dairy semen. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, August 5, 20234. … [Read more...]
Boost beef-on-dairy calf value with good health records
With the beef-on-dairy market booming, dairy farmers using a beef-on-dairy program must seize every opportunity to market their crossbred calves effectively, writes Taylor Leach. This means ensuring the highest health and nutrition standards, plus maintaining detailed health and vaccination records. She shares what is important and what should be recorded. Source: Dairy Herd … [Read more...]
Blackshirt Feeders: Closing the beef-on-dairy loop with data and technology
With contracts that stipulate every calf is tracked from birth with sire, health and performance data, Lee Leachman calls the closed-loop production model for beef on dairy a game changer. Greg Henderson explains how Blackshirt Feeders’ closed-loop system links the semen provider to the dairy to the feedyard and from where value will be derived. Source: Drovers, June 25, … [Read more...]
Cull cows, beef value now important for dairy profits
Cull beef cows were the topic of a recent post <Link>. For dairy producers, the value of cull cows and beef have moved from a rounding error to a critical component in profitability. This “beef value” can no longer be ignored, and producers that don’t make it part of their margin calculus may be leaving dollars on the table explains Will Babler. Source: Hoard’s … [Read more...]
Help producers transition to beef on dairy with these tips
CattleFax predicts U.S. beef-on-dairy cattle numbers will reach between 4 million and 5 million head as early as 2026. That translates to roughly 15 percent of the cattle harvested annually. Mitch Hockett, PhD, says veterinarians can help producers establish the value of beef-on-dairy calves and continue that long-term in the industry. Hockett outlined four key steps and … [Read more...]
Beef impact on dairy gestation
Little had been known about the impact of beef semen on the dairy cow until a project at Pennsylvania State University that was summarized in the Journal of Dairy Science. . . . using beef sires on your dairy herd isn’t going to hurt a herd of high-producing dairy cows.” – Bailey Basiel, PhD candidate Source: STgenetics, January 10, 2024. Link. Basiel reports there was a … [Read more...]
Beef on dairy, the perfect cross
The average number of milk cows for the nation's total dairy herd remains level <Link>. To produce milk a cow must have a calf whether the calf is desired or not. So, dairy producers eager to create a valuable calf have the beef-on-dairy revolution booming. These crossbred animals are making a considerable contribution to meat cases, thereby driving research on producing … [Read more...]
New beef-on-dairy resources available from Iowa Beef Center
Usurping the traditional information about feeding mostly Holstein, dairy-bred calves, a new web resource now focuses on the growing beef-on-dairy segment. It will offer producers and animal health pros current research and information about beef on dairy cross cattle. Source: BEEF, November 1, 2023. Link. Beef-on-dairy is such a new space, and we are constantly learning … [Read more...]
Beef-on-dairy: A revolution in American beef production?
Industry experts predict dairy farmers will produce 2.92 million beef-on-dairy calves this year and 3.22 million in 2024. And those numbers may be conservative, writes Greg Henderson. . . . sexed semen helps reduce the number of dairy cows needed to produce dairy heifers, thus allowing more dairy cows available for breeding to beef sires.” Source: Dairy Herd Management, … [Read more...]
Are beef-on-dairy calves being over-vaccinated?
Dan Thompson, DVM, PhD, shares industry concerns about the distinct disparities between the lives of full-blood beef calves and their beef-on-dairy cousins before they reach the feedlot. He reviews the likelihood of over-vaccination, overloading the immune systems and pain associated with near-weekly needle pokes. . . . during the first 90-100 days of their lives, … [Read more...]
Survey: Attitudes regarding using analgesia in U.S. beef and dairy cattle
Many surveyed respondents indicated they were cognizant of the benefits of analgesia use in cattle, but perceived federal regulations and drug costs as impediments to the implementation of pain mitigation protocols on cattle operations. Source: JAVMA, January 15, 2021, Abstract only. Link. In general, frequency of analgesia use increased as cattle age increased, regardless … [Read more...]
Top honors awarded to AABP dairy and beef DVMs
Congratulations to Dr. Kelly Barratt, Listowel, Ontario, Canada, who received the 2021 AABP Bovine Practitioner of the Year award sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. Barratt is the first woman to receive this top honor from AABP. Other North American bovine veterinarians were also honored. Source: Drovers, October 18, 2021. Link. INSIGHTS: Check the list of other awards, … [Read more...]
Comparing beef and dairy bull fertility
The increased use of beef sires on dairy cattle has raised questions on the relative fertility of beef versus dairy sires. Since 2008, dairy producers have had access to sire conception rate data. Similar information has not been available in the expected progeny differences published for beef sires for which a different scoring is used. A 2020 study by McWhorter et al. … [Read more...]
Intranasal vaccination for dairy, beef calves
One way to reduce the effects of maternal antibody interference is to use intranasal vaccines, writes Jennifer Ryan. Colostrum received by young dairy calves can interfere with injectable vaccines. However, intranasal vaccines tend to work with colostrum. Beef calves are often worked first at branding, a stressful period where cortisol weakens blood cells. Intranasal works here … [Read more...]
Beef bulls + dairy cows can compromise milk production
Unable to return a surplus of female calves, dairies are assertively seeking to breed and sell surplus calves for meat production. However, many strongly antagonistic traits associated with calving performance and carcass merit can be detrimental to the cows’ ability to calve and re-establish pregnancy early postcalving without any compromise in milk production. Researchers … [Read more...]
Beef-on-dairy production rapidly evolving
The advancements in genomics and sexed semen is making significant changes in how dairy producers manage cows. There is still a need for milk cows to have calves but not all calves need to be returned to the milking herd. By breeding the lower quality milk cows to beef bulls, dairy producers are building potential to impact the beef industry in a big way. <the author> … [Read more...]
Selecting the ideal beef or dairy cattle breeds
The movement to growing your own food continues to grow. As new farmers make decisions, knowing about cattle breeds is helpful. Heather Smith Thomas reviews breed options with the smaller farmer in mind. Source: Countryside Daily, July 16, 2018. Link. Cattle farming for beginners requires researching dozens and dozens of beef cattle breeds and composites, and a half dozen … [Read more...]
It’s not Old McDonald’s dairy farm anymore
Beef-on-dairy has become a cash cow for many dairy farmers, writes Fran O'Leary. But making it all work takes some experimentation, time and planning. She shares some producer experiences and the economics in this article. Source: Wisconsin Agriculturist, September 5, 2024. Link. INSIGHTS: O’Leary’s article is good context for veterinary teams and sales representatives … [Read more...]
Biosecurity planning for secure beef supply
Foot and mouth disease fears have driven transdisciplinary approaches to biosecurity across livestock industry segments. The current issues with high-path avian influenza in dairy cattle underscores the importance of biosecurity planning as it is the leading protection against diseases. The Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program proactively established … [Read more...]
Condition of surplus dairy calves during marketing
Surplus dairy calves are sold soon after birth and often marketed through a third party before entering veal or dairy beef production. A portion of these mostly male calves failed transfer of passive immunity and exhibited clinical signs of disease on arrival at calf-raising facilities. Researchers sought to better understand elements of calf health and morbidity during the … [Read more...]
Sexed semen becoming popular in beef
Using sexed semen, beef producers can selectively breed cows to a desired bull and choose the sex of the offspring. This is beneficial if they want replacement heifers from their best cows, or bull calves from certain pairings. Source: Western Farmer-Stockman, May 12, 2022. Link. To know if use of sexed semen would be of economic value in a beef operation, each producer … [Read more...]
Dairy market cows NOT cull cows
Dairy producers need to should change their vocabulary when referring to a cull cow. Cows sent to slaughter could add $60,000 to $100,00 a year to a 250-cow dairy. “Cull” means to remove something inferior or worthless. Instead, these animals should be considered market cows, something with value.” Source: Farm Progress, August 23, 2021. Link. Dairy producers must recognize … [Read more...]
Cattle bunching on dairy farms: Causes and solutions
The ongoing advancements in animal stewardship at the farm or ranch level, are fascinating as they are revealed. Sadly, the public often holds an Old MacDonald point of view about animal care. Dairy and cattle producers are continually observing and working toward solutions to limiting production factors that ultimately improve animal health and stewardship. Brian Dougherty … [Read more...]
Beef genetics not equal in dairies
Crossbreeding dairy cows with beef genetics is a growing practice. Between being able to predict calf gender and various processors refusing to buy dairy cows for meat, dairy producers are using beef bulls as a way to add value to bull calves and generate additional income. There is a misconception that all beef genetics are created equal in terms of usefulness in creating a … [Read more...]
Dairy goats expanding faster than any major livestock group
The U.S. dairy goat herd grew 61 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to the latest Census of Agriculture. Numbers for hens and beef cattle were flat. Numbers for specialty animals dropped out of sight. While goat numbers are predicted to continue increasing, the business is not without challenges. Source: Washington Post, April 23, 2019. Link. . . . To this day, banks … [Read more...]
Rapid fertility evolution has beef bulls in demand on dairies
Corey Geiger explains why some dairy managers are using beef genetics in their dairy cow herds. Earlier use of heifers, sexed semen and improved pregnancy rates are part of the reasons for this shift in fertility strategies. This April, 4284 bulls were declared active by A.I. organizations . . . but only 1,074 of those bulls had milking daughters. Source: Hoard’s Dairyman, … [Read more...]
Culling decisions and dairy cattle welfare during transport to slaughter in the United States
Twenty eight percent of dairy cows are removed from dairy herds each year. Cull cows are often transported long distances to slaughter and may face many welfare challenges during this process. The authors discuss specialized slaughter locations, what holds this culling system in place and opportunities to improve cull cow welfare. At each point of sale and during each leg of … [Read more...]
Dairy how-to: pay attention to injection sites (educational video)
Even though dairy cows are raised for milk production, nearly all dairy animals end up in the beef supply chain at some point. That makes proper animal handling and drug administration important to avoid injection site lesions that can damage the carcass. Source: Dairy Herd Management, October 20, 2018. Link. We want to try and do all of our injections in the neck,” says … [Read more...]
FDA suggests non-dairy milk isn’t milk
The FDA describes milk as "the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows." That definition doesn't leave room for vegan alternatives to call themselves "milk," though a number of products on the market do. Source: CNN, July 19, 2018. Link. The agency is not commenting on its plans or Gottlieb's observation … [Read more...]