Every cow you create might not be right for your market. To withstand market ebbs and flows, you need to create cows that meet the needs of your operation.

Klipp explained that, compared to their straight beef counterparts, beef-on-dairy calves are weaned early from a liquid milk diet and need a functional rumen to maintain growth and overall health.

Interest in beef-on-dairy remains at an all-time high. In fact, it’s estimated that the industry will produce 3.22 million beef-on-dairy calves in 2024. Incorporating full beef embryos into a dairy’s reproductive program is one way producers are taking advantage of this growing trend. HerdFlex beef embryos from Simplot Animal Sciences are available through Select Sires, offering a team approach to help producers achieve their goals.

A goal to get an extra lactation out of their cows improved more than herd longevity at Doll’s Dairy Inc. in Pocahontas, Illinois. It also provided additional opportunities to diversify the farm’s revenue streams, including selling beef-on-dairy calves and excess heifer calves.

Doug Blair shares his knowledge of pedigrees in his book containing information about 117 years of North American Grand Champions.

Farmers can capitalize on several potential benefits by strategically integrating beef embryos into dairy herds through IVF, with increased revenue at the core.

The integration of beef into the dairy industry has reshaped the market as we know it today and has furthered the potential to foster the development of a sustainable beef industry. Simplot Animal Sciences has elected Luis Davalos, who is a farm manager for Corrales Dairy in Roswell, New Mexico, to speak on this topic as he has extensive knowledge in what it takes to run a successful breeding program.

If you were in need of replacements, would you be excited to buy your heifers?

“I used to raise a lot of heifers just because it was cheap to raise them and if one didn’t work out, there were others to replace her,” Souza says. “That doesn’t work anymore. You have to be very intentional with the heifers you choose to raise.”