Dairy farms across the U.S. have been breeding a portion of their cows to beef sires since 2018. The resultant crossbred progeny, known as beef-on-dairy, has provided challenges and opportunities for both the beef and dairy industries. Penn State collected data over four years to evaluate the impact of beef-on-dairy progeny on these industries.

Every pregnancy has the purpose of generating revenue. Today, let’s dive into the concept of increasing the profitability of each pregnancy by deploying the right genetics on the right portion of the herd. The semen you choose on breeding day determines the path of that pregnancy: an investment for future profitability or a positive cash flow calf check.

In the early 1980s, producers who raised Herefords and other breeds with red hides were hit with a significant discount at feedyards and sale barns.

The beef and dairy industries have long been interconnected, and all dairy producers are beef producers through the sale of market cows, bull calves and beef-on-dairy crossbred calves. Taking this one step further, we want to explore a few of the observations we have made as dairy producers have added a beef enterprise to their dairy operation or made the transition out of dairy.

Efficiency is efficiency, right? Turns out, it’s probably not that simple. Efficiency in a feedlot and at the cow-calf level are two very different things.

“Genetic improvement” is a term with far-reaching implications, uniquely and individually defined by those in the beef industry.

As ranching comes under near-constant fire for being ecologically disruptive, the FR Ranch Preserve of southwest Louisiana utilizes cattle to continue the mission of wildlife preservation and surface ecology dictated by their founders.