Diversifying income on a dairy can hold the key to financial success though low milk prices. Domestic beef semen sales have climbed over 300% in the past five years, with 9 million units sold in 2022 according to the National Association of Animal Breeders. This exponential growth in beef semen sales suggest that dairy farmers are exploring the possibility of becoming more active in the beef industry to diversify gross receipts.
With all these beef matings, we’ve collectively learned through trial and error ways to manage the offspring — but what about the dam? In the end, a dairyman’s goal is to reset this cow and start shipping the milk down the road.
“We set out to learn if these matings have any negative implications on your cow herd,” explained Bailey Basiel, a doctoral candidate from Penn State University, on this month’s “Dairy Science Digest” podcast. “I’m happy to report that using beef sires on your dairy herd isn’t going to hurt your herd of high-producing dairy cows,” she continued.
Reagan Bluel
Jan. 8, 2024
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