Within the last five years, the number of purebred dairy animals that have passed through feedlots has shrunk drastically. What used to be a purebred Holstein steer has now become a beef-on-dairy cross, and it’s estimated almost 23% of the total number of fed steers and heifers within the U.S. are actually coming from dairies.
According to Dr. Aimee Halfa, a beef innovation lead at Cargill, there are several reasons why these beef-on-dairy animals have seen explosive growth. One of the biggest spurs from the severe drought that has blanketed most of the Midwest, which in turn has forced herd reductions amongst the beef industry.
With the conventional beef herd currently in a liquidation phase, feeder calf prices have skyrocketed, triggering a supply and demand issue between the beef industry and feedlots. Dairy producers, however, have helped fill the pipeline by producing beef-on-dairy calves, and have turned a hefty profit in doing so.
By TAYLOR LEACH
January 31, 2024
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