Beef embryos offer value and flexible solutions for dairies seeking to add new revenue streams and diversification opportunities. But does it work as well for dairies of different sizes?

In recent years, the dairy industry has witnessed a significant rise in the number of beef cross calves being born. This emerging trend of crossbreeding dairy cows with beef bulls at a large scale has not been a linear process.

The usual suspects (expected progeny differences [EPDs], genomic testing, heterosis) were covered, as were some issues (beef-on-dairy, methane emissions, cardiac health) that may have been a bit more of a surprise to the uninitiated at an event ostensibly dedicated to beef cattle genetics.

As a dairy geneticist, I am trained to preach precision breeding for high genetic gain. Therefore, mixing multiple bulls in one semen straw felt counterintuitive. But the dairy industry is not what it was 50, 30 or even 15 years ago.

Beef-on-dairy calves are an investment. These calves should be treated just as well as a heifer calf that will be raised for the dairy. A poor-quality, unhealthy calf not only hurts your bottom line, it also jeopardizes your reputation as a quality calf supplier.

With the opportunity to capitalize on record-low native beef herd numbers and the growing demand for high-quality beef, dairy-beef crossbred cattle producers can benefit from taking a second look at their early life calf nutrition program.

“I think, done the right way and with proper management all the way through, these calves are better than the native beef,” said Dan Dorn.

When it comes to new breeding strategies in your herd, there is a lot to navigate. How does this impact replacement inventory? What are the trade-offs? Novel strategies usually have an extra cost – right? 

Une question de l’associé adjoint Éric Patenaude a fait germer une idée qui a mené à une nouvelle et succulente initiative pour la Ferme Gillette d’Embrun, en Ontario.