Strategically planning a dairy cow’s transition out of the herd can maximize meat quality, carcass yield, and overall profitability.
When it’s time for dairy cows to make a career change and leave the herd, strategically planning their exit could enhance their final contribution in terms of meat quality, carcass yield, and overall profitability. At the same time, their departure could be improved in terms of their own welfare and the safety of their end products.
Market cow prices are currently robust, and removals from U.S. dairy herds have recently slowed for a variety of reasons. So, when the strategic decision is made to remove a cow, a little more strategy could maximize that decision. Among the factors:
- Seasonality – Many producers choose to thin their herds in the fall to save on bedding and barn space through the winter. But Ohio State University Extension Educator Dustin Sonnenberg shared that a 10-year survey of USDA data showed market dairy cow prices are typically lowest in November and December. He said that is likely due to the concurrent sale of culled beef cows after weaning in the fall. The USDA history showed the months that historically have posted the highest prices for market dairy cows are March, April, and May.
- Carcass yield – It is a common misconception that all retiring dairy cows are destined to become ground beef. But given that at least 10% of the U.S. beef supply is fulfilled by dairy cows, it’s important to recognize their role in other cuts. Sonnenberg said market dairy cows with moderate body condition yield higher-quality carcasses that can be processed into boneless primal cuts that find their way to family steakhouses, airline meals, and fast-food roast beef sandwiches.A study led by Nicole Berdusco at the University of Guelph divided 37 dairy cows removed from a commercial herd into a group that was marketed immediately and one that was fed for an additional 60 days. The fed cows gained an average of 188 pounds and showed a body condition score (BCS) improvement of 1.2 points (5-point scale).
A second study led by Berdusco, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, followed a similar structure with 43 cows, half of which were fed for an additional 60 days. Those fed cows averaged a hot carcass weight that was 179 pounds heavier, with a 6.5% greater dressing percentage, compared to cows that were shipped immediately.
- Carcass quality – The cows in Berdusco’s second study also had significantly higher intramuscular fat, or marbling, than their non-fed counterparts. When steaks were evaluated using a Warner-Bratzler shear force protocol, they also were significantly more tender. A decades-old study at Colorado State University also showed that feeding dairy cows for at least 28 days produced a measurable improvement in fat whitening, which consumers prefer.
- Animal welfare – Dairy cows shipped directly out of the milking string often experience udder engorgement that makes the last few days of their lives painful. Plus, some of them may be lame. Berdusco’s 37-cow study evaluated udder involution, showing that nearly half of the fed group experienced udder involution, while none of the direct-shipped cows did. No significant difference in locomotion or hock lesions was detected between the two groups, but in other settings, retaining cows on feed may also allow them time to heal hoof, hock, or leg injuries.
- Food safety – Sonnenberg noted that retaining market cows on feed for several weeks also will ensure that drug withdrawal times have expired, promoting safety for both consumers and the dairies selling the animals.
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