There is a strong need to focus on calf health to support calf development, which has immediate and long-term impact.
- Access to water is critical starting day one and electrolytes can be supplemented to ensure the calf endures transport well and arrives at the grower ready to impress. (Dr. Jon Robison)
- Transition milk is strongly recommended to facilitate a smooth transition from colostrum. Transition milk has been shown to decrease scours, respiratory incidences, antibiotic use, and mortality rate by up to 50%! (Dr. Mike Nagorske)
- Feeding protocols before 12 weeks of age influenced Quality Grade at the end of life, even when feeding and management was consistent throughout the rest of an animal’s lifetime. (Dr. Olivia Guenther-Schroeder)
TAKEAWAY: Even if you sell your beef on dairy calves in the first week of life, what you do or don't do will be evident to your buyers. Treat your beef on dairy calves like your dairy replacements to secure a long-term market!
- Opportunities with sustainability measures, carbon markets, etc. can help to successfully position beef on dairy as the market shifts to maintain favor for the product among packers, retailers, and consumers.
- Younger generations are demanding environmentally friendly practices across industries and are very savvy when it comes to choosing food packaging labels that align with their ideals.
Interested in learning more? Reach out to Elena Boxy, eboxy@selectsires.com, to learn about certification and carbon credit programs in development by Low Carbon Technologies.
Genetics are a risk management tool for each supply chain entity!
- Consistency, quality, and predictability of cattle are a must:
- Predictability of the cattle, and records-based awareness about how they are going to perform, is critical to feeders.
- Consistency and quality are indicators of ideal beef on dairy. ProfitSOURCE® is achieving this thanks to targeted genetics!
- Looking to the future, the beef on dairy that will stay in favor with feeders, packers, and beyond are those that are high quality and potentially fit into a sustainability program.
TAKEAWAY: Enroll in ProfitSOURCE to breed consistent, high-quality beef on dairy, and make that value known with ProfitSOURCE ear tags.