With drought and production costs pushing the native beef population to a record low, beef-on-dairy has a huge opportunity to keep the feedlots and processors at full capacity. This also means the demand – and prices – for beef calves are at a high. Lauren Kimble, manager of ProfitSOURCE and LCT Supply Chains with Select Sires, offers five tips on how producers can capitalize on these prices.
Know Your Buyer
Building a relationship with your calf buyer is a great way to gain visibility and make some noise for your high-quality beef-on-dairy calves. Get to know them – where are these calves headed? What does that system want? Use beef genetics that not only allow for easy calving, but also address the specific beef supply chain needs.
Calf Care
One of the perks of beef-on-dairy is that the calves are born in controlled environments – and we know that dairy producers are experts at rearing newborns. Colostrum management at birth is vital as these calves, unlike native beef calves, undergo serious change within the first few weeks of life, adjusting to the stresses of transport and new home(s).
March 24, 2023 dairyherd.com
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