A growing trend in animal agriculture is the breeding of dairy cows with beef bulls to take advantage of desirable traits and provide added value for producers. The process, also known as beef-on-dairy, can improve the value of the calf says Olivia Genther-Shroder of Purina.
She says that research of beef-on-dairy focuses on bringing desirable beef cattle traits, such as less days on feed and more carcass yield, to dairy cows. She says that the process also helps to improve existing genetic traits in dairy cattle such as Holsteins, by improving marbling.
Genther-Shroder says that dairy cattle are traditionally half the value of beef steers. She explains the schedule for raising beef-dairy cattle and meeting beef export requirements.
She says that cross-breeding beef and dairy cows can produce animals with several desirable genetic traits.
