While beef-on-dairy calves outperform dairy calves for stocker and finishing systems, they require a different management and understanding when it comes to grazing.
Unfamiliar with being a grazing animal, beef on dairy calves need to go through a two- to three-week receiving period, says Paul Beck, MS, MBA, PhD. This allows time for calves to adjust to new feeds, learn to graze and develop herd behavior before turnout.
Source: Hay and Forage Grower, September 23, 2025. Link.
Unlike beef calves raised alongside their dams, dairy-beef calves don’t learn grazing behavior early in life. When they leave the dairy, many are unfamiliar with hay, group housing, open pastures, or even water sources.” – Paul Beck, MS, MBA, PhD
Image: Link.