Beef-on-Dairy Cattle May Have More to Gain at Lighter Weights

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More than 72% of dairy farms now breed part of the herd to beef sires, putting dairy calves into the beef supply in numbers the industry can’t overlook. Those crossbred cattle now make up more than 20% of cattle entering U.S. feedlots.

A recent Farm Bureau Markets Intel report looks at how those calves perform once they reach the feedlot. With beef supplies tight, the report points to placement weight, health and feedlot performance as factors that can affect how much value carries through the supply chain.

The report highlights new research from Kansas State University using pen-level data from three commercial feedlot companies in Kansas and nearby states. Researchers compared beef-on-dairy cattle with traditional beef cattle placed at weights ranging from 400 to 900 lbs..

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