Beef Grist
Dear Beef Producing Friends,
2024 has been an incredible year for raising beef calves with cattle prices reaching a new, all-time high and good moisture for growing crops and hay. With no end in sight to the high prices, many are contemplating their plans for 2025 and looking for ways to maximize their investment, so they can reap the rewards and maximize returns on their operation. In light of maximizing returns, Kathleen has written an excellent article reminding us of the importance of weaning calves well to help ensure optimal success at the
Weaning Calves for Optimal Success at the Next Stage
by: Kathleen Shore, M.Sc.
Ruminant Nutrition Manager
When it comes to weaning calves, doing it well can make a big difference in terms of calf health and growth. If weaning is poorly done, the time, effort and money spent toward the calf quickly becomes a loss as they struggle to maintain their bodyweight and continue to grow. Eventually they will catch up but the cost of that time is never recovered. Whether it is a dairy calf who is being raised and driven toward the milking line, a beef calf being raised toward a feed lot or a dairy-beef cross that may be starting off in a dairy setting then moving to a beef barn/farm the science is all the same at weaning – a lot of change = a lot of stress = growth lag.
Weaning should be a process that is standardized but also adjustable toward the size of the calf. A smaller, poorer doing calf should stay behind so they don’t survive long enough to fail in the next stage of their growth. The approach to weaning should be slow and consistent. A lot of things can be less than perfect in calf rearing but it better be consistent for optimal growth and health of the calf!
The goal of weaning is to ensure a smooth transition from that pre-ruminant stage to the ruminant stage where other feeds can be introduced, and a rumen microbial environment is being established. The advantage of a smooth transition leads to decreased morbidity and mortality and increases gain (Khan et al, 2012). Where it tends to slow a calf down is the abrupt weaning stage where feed and/or housing and/or pen mates are changed and with each change the calf shifts their nutrition from growth to maintenance and stress mitigation.
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next stage. Jer Plesman has provided a good perspective on the impact of beef x dairy animals on the beef industry, some of the reasons raising beef x dairy calves is attractive, and how to feed them efficiently. We hope you find these articles beneficial when making decisions on your operation for the coming year and wish you great success in 2025.
Sincerely,
Dave Ross VP of Customer Advocacy & Experiential Marketing, GVF group of companies
Feeding is a learned behaviour
When animals are young, they learn what is expected from them – if they are with the dam, as in the case of many beef calves, they will nurse but they will also need to learn where to find water, and what creep feed is and/or where does the dam eat. In the case of calves, fed away from the dam, they learn what to eat/drink from and they will learn when to expect it. When it comes to weaning this process is a retraining. Now they need to adjust to what they are eating. Given the time, they will learn, move forward, and continue growing. If calves are in a competitive environment where they do have to fight for feed this is the behaviour that will remain with them through all stages of their production. We refer to that fight for feed as “slug feeding” where they attack the feed quickly. This leads to persistent digestive issues and poor feed efficiency – a cost not often realized because the opportunity to do better comes from giving animals more space and potentially more feed. Improvements in feed efficiency can make a big difference in terms of the $/animal and for beef the time to finish can be reduced.
Step down weaning
This is a gradual reduction of access to milk (or the dam) to initiate the calf’s reflex to eat more grain and some forage if offered. A trial using bull calves and feeding them milk replacer for a total of 60 days was initiated whereby the calves were housed individually and the milk program was the same for all calves (offering up to 9 L per day at 150g of milk replacer powder/L of water). The only difference was some calves were weaned over 5 days and some were weaned over 10 days. Figure 1 shows the differences while on milk and then at week 8 they were all weaned and you can see the calves pulled ahead very quickly when they were given 10 days to wean (no calves were moved at this time).
Ian Ross, Chief Executive Officer | JD D'Elia, President David Ross, VP of Customer Advocacy & Experiential Marketing
Ruminant Nutritionists: Amber Zupan, Kathleen Shore, Gennadii Bondarenko, Mark Bowman, Lisa McGregor, | Layout Editor: Curtis Ebanks
Figure 1: Calves bodyweight throughout milk fed phase (start to 8 weeks) and post weaning phase; weaning took place the last 10 or 5 days from the 8 week mark.
The weaning process was a reduction in milk amount each day. Over 10 days approximately 10% and over 5 days approximately 20% was reduced each day. The milk concentration remained the same and the number of milk meals (2 in this case) remained the same. During this time, weaning through post weaning, grain intake was measured. Figure 2 demonstrates that those calves allowed a longer wean time ate less grain than their counterparts weaned over 5 days.
ago. This has increased cattle sales revenue by approximately $110,000 annually for a 200-cow dairy.
Future of Beef x Dairy Crosses
Beef x dairy crosses are not expected to replace the traditional cow-calf industry but will fill the gap left by the declining Holstein steer market. Historically, Holstein steers accounted for 20-23% of US beef production. The introduction of beef x dairy crosses will help support the beef supply as the number of cow-calf operators decreases due to industry stress and an aging workforce (average Canadian rancher was 58 years old in 2023). This change will never be able to produce enough of the beef x dairy crosses to replace the traditional cow calf industry, even with the increased beef x dairy cross production.
Future of Beef x Dairy Crosses
01. Improved Feed Efficiency: Crossbred calves gain weight quickly and finish in just 15 months.
02. Enhanced Meat Quality: These animals produce well-marbled meat, similar to pure beef breeds, but often slightly higher in grade as they place fat more interstitially, achieving more marbling and higher grades due to the Holstein genetics.
03. Consistent Births: Crossbreeding provides a steady supply of calves, aiding in consistent beef production.
Feeding the Beef x Dairy Cross animal
2: Grain intake throughout weaning and post weaning (all numbers on the graph are average kg eaten/day/calf). Post wean all calves had ad libitum access to grain and water.
The last measurement through this trial was # of health events for these two groups of calves. Figure 3 demonstrates that calves weaned over 10 days had less events – an indication that there was less stress driving an immune event.
3:
While this data applies to calves housed away from the dam, those calves that remain with the dam will show the same signs of stress if abruptly removed and weaned. Considering an approach where calves are separated for short periods of time and can still see the dams is ideal. Calves should have access to their own feed and water and the area should enable safely running around (play). This will improve average daily gains by introducing them to change slowly and consistently.
Take home message
Small changes are best with as much consistency as possible: Slow reduction of milk or short separation times from the dam Access to the same feeds they have been eating. Keeping them with the same calves or in the same pen/hutch while weaning
The impact of Beef x Dairy Crosses on the Beef Industry
by: Jeremy Plesman Ruminant Sales Coach and Ruminant Sales
Over the past 5-10 years the agri-food industry in Canada and North America has experienced its first significant shift in a generation driven by science, nature, and economics. These changes have stressed the sector, leading to innovation and resilience among producers.
Key Drivers of Change
01. Scientific Advances: The use of sexed semen has allowed dairy producers to limit herd size while increasing output per animal and thus potential creation of more beefpurpose offspring.
02. Economic Pressures: Higher debt loads, increased input costs, and upward pressure on interest rates have stressed the entire sector.
03. Natural Factors: Droughts and challenging weather systems have led to a significant feed shortage, driving a downsizing of the North American bovine herd.
Impact on Dairy Producers
Dairy producers have faced pressures to downsize herds due to high input costs. The adoption of sexed semen into their breeding programs has reduced the need for surplus replacement heifers, allowing them to produce beef x dairy crosses. These crossbred animals have become a significant revenue stream, with day-old crossbred calves now worth $800-$1000, compared to $100 for purebred Holstein males a couple of years
The beef x dairy cross animal represents a significant advancement in the cattle industry, combining the best traits of beef breeds with the established energy conversion genetics of dairy cattle, particularly Holsteins. This hybrid vigor, primarily from Angus crosses, results in a shorter, more robust build. This stature, coupled with the impressive energy conversion efficiency bred into Holstein genetics over the past 50 years, creates a unique and highly productive animal.
Growth and Feeding Strategies
These animals exhibit rapid growth when fed similarly to Holstein replacement heifers until they reach approximately 700 pounds of body weight (BW). At this physiological milestone, a strategic shift in their diet is crucial. By transitioning them to a diet rich in high-quality forage (fiber) while maintaining a relatively high starch intake, these animals can achieve exceptional average daily gains (ADG).
Dietary Targets for These Animals
For animals >700 lbs BW: Crude Protein (CP): 13% Undigested Neutral Detergent Fiber Intake (uNDFI) of BW: >0.75%, with total NDF around 30%
Starch: <28%
For animals >700 lbs BW:
• Crude Protein (CP): >10%
• Undigested Neutral Detergent Fiber Intake (uNDFI) of BW: >0.60%, with total NDF around 25%
• Starch: >36%
In Western Canada, several feedlots have reported average daily gains (ADG) exceeding 5 pounds, with animals reaching market readiness at a commendable 15 months or less. This accelerated growth rate, coupled with high grading and yield scores, makes these animals highly desirable in the market.
Performance Metrics
A recent small-scale study involving 59 cattle processed over three months revealed impressive grading results: 30 Y1 scores | 26 Y2 scores | 3 Y3 scores
The yield scores, as correlated with the accompanying chart, provide a comprehensive view of the quality grades of these animals. This group achieved an impressive 20% Prime Grade and 71% AAA Grade, reflecting high yield scores. Remarkably, 91% of the animals shipped attained the highest grades of beef in the Canadian industry. These results underscore the potential of beef x dairy cross animals to not only meet but exceed industry standards for growth and meat quality.
Conclusion
The integration of beef x dairy crosses into the beef industry is a win-win for both beef and dairy producers.
It enhances meat quality on a significant segment of the total product, improves feed efficiency, supports sustainability, and provides economic benefits. As this practice continues to grow, it will play a crucial role in shaping the future of beef production so now it is up to us to make sure we harness this new tool on both sides of the producer fence.
– Luke 2:14 - 16
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