Joe Emenheiser, a livestock Extension educator with the University of Connecticut, presented a webinar exploring the new frontiers of beef and dairy crossbreeding.
“Even though this topic has been discussed and practiced before, we’re in a new realm in animal breeding and animal nutrition,” Emenheiser said.
“Beef x dairy” means that the sire is first and the cow is second.
“Close to 20% of beef is dairy beef — a dairy bred cow that is slaughtered,” Emenheiser said.
He added that because of volatility in fluid milk prices and the increased availability of sexed semen, “many dairy producers are able to satisfy their need for replacement heifers with fewer purebred matings.”
By crossbreeding their lower-performing dairy cows to beef bulls, producers can develop a new revenue stream.
