Beef × Dairy Research and Resources from Iowa State

The dairy industry has a growing trend of using beef semen to breed dairy cows. Survey data out of New York¹ estimates that the use of beef sires on dairy farms more than doubled from 2015 to 2019. It is generally accepted that this is in response to more fertility when dairy cows are bred to sexed semen, meaning that heifers are easier to produce in more dairy herds. In the same survey, over 30% of respondents reported using beef sires on more than half of their mature cows. At the same time, the national beef herd is experiencing lower numbers, meaning beef prices have been strong for much of the last year. Therefore, dairy farmers can use crossbreeding strategies with beef semen to manage their heifer inventory while taking advantage of additional beef revenue.

I have been collaborating with the ISU Beef Team on research and extension projects to help us understand how to feed and manage these animals. We started with early life, feeding beef-dairy crossbreds two different starters with different starch levels. We found that calves performed well on either diet, but our research does not end there. We are also investigating what happens when we put these calves on different diets after weaning, tracking their performance to finish. This project is unique and is possible in a state like Iowa because of our strong beef and dairy industries and because of funding we received from the Iowa Beef Industry Council (IBIC).

Although there are still many knowledge gaps in feeding and managing these crossbreds, we have learned a few important things to remember. First, it is important to remember that these calves are valuable farm assets, not byproducts of dairy production. Because they represent a valuable income source, treat these calves like you would your replacement heifers. Often, these calves are leaving the herd at a very young age. There are still many things that a dairy producer can do to start these calves off on the right “hoof,” including proper colostrum management, keeping the maternity area clean and stress-free, and providing clean and dry bedding for the calves before they leave the farm.

A common stressor for beef-dairy crosses is transportation stress. They are often transported for long distances at a very young age. Dairy producers selling beef crosses can limit some of that stress on their calves and protect their product with a few strategies. Colostrum management is again important to ensure that these calves start on a solid foundation. Consider providing electrolytes before long trips or using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs under a veterinarian’s guidance. Older calves tend to handle transportation stress better than younger ones. Tailor your approach based on their age and your farm’s needs

What’s coming next in this field of study? In my opinion, we will see a lot more questions about genetics. Currently, dairy farmers tend to focus on the “3 C’s” as my colleagues at Wisconsin call them: cost, conception rate, and calving ease.² However, as this market grows, expect more demand for genetic traits like carcass quality.

Interested in learning more? Thanks to the grant from the IBIC, a new resource for producers feeding on dairy crossbreds is now available. Funded through the Iowa State Beef Checkoff, this research grant awarded to a team at Iowa Beef Center focused on a project that includes creating a web resource library on current beef-on-dairy information. You can find the link to the resource here: https://www.iowabeefcenter.org/dairybeef.html

¹Quaassdorff & Hicks, 2023. “Characteristics of the Beef × Dairy Industry in New York State.” https://nydairyadmin.cce.cornell.edu/pdf/impact_ny/pdf210_pdf.pdf

²Sterry, 2023. “Beef × Dairy Crossbreeding and calf management practices on Wisconsin dairy farms (Part 1).” https://livestock.extension.wisc.edu/articles/beef-x-dairy-crossbreeding-and-calf-management-practices-on-wisconsin-dairy-farms/