The beef-on-dairy revolution is booming. What started as a trend more than a decade ago has quickly grown into a reliable profit stream for dairy farmers across the country. As milk prices continue to sink lower, more and more dairy producers are turning their attention to creating a healthy beef cross calf to generate additional income for their farms.
“Even though we’ve gotten to a position to where beef-on-dairy is becoming more well-known, the reality is dairymen have been beef producers all along – whether that’s been through cull cows are bull calves,” says Dale Woerner, Professor and Cargill Endowed Professor at Texas Tech University. “However, as beef prices have crept up, the beef-on-dairy segment has seen an explosion.”
Just five years ago there were approximately 25.4 million cattle fed through feedlots that were harvested year-over-year, according to Woerner. Traditionally, about 5.1 million of those animals had been purebred dairy heifers or steers. However, this number has seen a drastic change.
By TAYLOR LEACH AND MAUREEN HANSON
January 8, 2024
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