Beef on Dairy: A Growing Trend

Beef on dairy has quickly grown from a niche market into a major trend in the cattle industry. Zach Rincker, Key Account Sales Manager with United Producers, shares what he is seeing in the market and the factors that are driving growth.

"We've seen a lot of success with the beef on dairy program farm, you know, from a predictability, a consistency, and just an overall quality of the cattle. I think we've made leaps and bounds the last five to seven years. As far as you know, genetic selection for carcass merit, carcass traits, and just overall better, better cattle. You know, when we send a load of beef on dairy cattle to a farm, we know a pretty good idea of how they're going to perform, how they're going to feed, how they're going to convert, and we can do a really good job of helping those guys predict and be consistent in their in their flows, and it makes it easier to market the cattle."

According to a new beef on dairy industry report developed by Purina Animal Nutrition, Cattle Facts, Certified Angus Beef, and several university partners, it shows that beef on dairy cattle are now making up an estimated 12 to 15% of all US Fed slaughter. The report shows that the early surge in crossbred production has leveled off, but confidence in these cattle continues to climb. Feedlots are seeing stronger gains and better carcass quality, and that is closing the price gap between beef on dairy calves and native beef animals.