Making Beef Out of Dairy

Dairy beef cross cattle have become an increasingly popular option for dairy farmers looking to capture additional market value on calves that aren’t needed for the dairy herd. Many dairy farms are selecting a percentage of their lower-potential or low-producing animals of the herd and breeding to beef sires. Breeding to beef sires with carcass trait merits has the potential to produce calves that will capture better prices in the sale barn or yield carcasses that can net more value compared to purebred dairy animals.

 

 In the factsheet Making Beef Out of Dairy , UW-Extension Kewaunee County Agriculture Agent Aerica Bjurstrom and Marquette County Agriculture Agent Lyssa Seefeldt share the field survey they conducted on 17 dairy beef cross steers and heifers evaluating live and carcass performance.