Many industry experts say the beef-on-dairy sector is booming, as are efforts to make these cows as profitable as possible for producers. Laurence Williams, Dairy-Beef Cross Development Lead at Purina, says this sector has become a great revenue option for many dairy operators.
He said when it comes to the best cows for both dairy and beef, genetics is an important component, but not the only one.
“Job one is getting the right genetics in them, but then you’ve got to take that animal and feed it and develop it. So, we’ve done some great research at Purina that talks about the type and kind of nutrition we need to get in these cattle, the right protein levels, and the total amount of feed. And they’re just different requirements because they’re different genetically.”
Williams added that artificial insemination has made these cattle more attractive to prospective producers.
“The genetics companies have done a great job creating these really terrific beef sires that dairymen have an opportunity to get. So, they’ve done some good heavy lifting in the last couple of years to bring these really good sires to the dairy. And again, they’re a perfect match, right? Dairy and beef. And so, they’ve created these cattle that have a lot of red meat yield now. They’re so much better than their straight dairy contemporaries. They’re just really good cattle.”
Williams noted these cattle are available year-round, which he said is very intriguing to the beef industry. He added that when fed and managed correctly, many of these cattle grade out in the upper 2/3 choice and prime.