Genetic selection is a crucial component of modern day farming. By partnering with breeding companies, farmers are able to maximise production from their dairy herds, streamline processes, and reduce emissions on-farm.
With an eye on efficiency, more farmers are looking to dairy beef to get value from their non-replacement herd. Dairy beef calves are born to dairy dams but then raised for meat production. Increasingly, genetics are playing role in dairy beef production – ensuring the herd has attributes that work for both the dairy and beef sectors.
According to DairyNZ, 72% of dairy farmers use beef genetics to improve the value of their non-replacement calves2.
A recent piece of research from Nuffield Scholar Matt Iremonger reports the “development of beef on dairy practices has been supported by advances in genetic selection and artificial breeding programmes.1"
“Some dairy farmers have embraced beef on dairy practices as part of their broader sustainability initiatives by reducing calf wastage. The emergence of beef on dairy practices in New Zealand reflect a convergence of market forces, changing farm management strategies around sustainability and is likely to play an increasing role in the diversification and profitability of New Zealand’s agricultural sector. Improving the beef genetics of non-replacement dairy calves has been attracting some interest, with sustainability and a more reliable supply of cattle the main drivers,” the report states.
LIC’s Product Manager for Beef Genetics, Paul Charteris, says the industry is growing rapidly.
“Beef straws into dairy herds have been significantly increasing over the last few years, and many dairy farmers are focused on achieving the ideal balance on their farms – reducing the number of bobby calves while increasing the value of the calves born. Calves must be profitable and saleable, and born with minimal risk to the cow,” he says.
When it comes to selecting beef sires for dairy, the LIC Livestock Selection and Genetics teams identify sires whose traits, based on Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs), indicate they are genetically superior in a multitude of ways: calving ease, reliability, growth, hitting carcass weight at the right time of year and hitting the bullseye on quality traits.
“The beef sire selection process has become increasingly targeted and more sophisticated in recent years. We are selecting individually superior bulls from breeding programmes that specifically meet dairy beef outcomes,” Paul says.
“Beef straws are no longer just a matter of mating dairy cows for the first six weeks and then inseminating with beef later. It’s increasingly becoming part of a tactical mating plan that adds as much value to calves in the current season, while also maximising the opportunity for each cow to get back in calf.
“Today’s modern breeding scene has seen the development of new beef breeds such as Stabilizer, Profit Maker and Speckle Park – breeds which have a high level of performance bred into them from the get-go. Added to that are bulls that have been genetically selected for generations that exceed those bulls from decades ago in every aspect imaginable. These genetics simply did not exist anywhere in the world as little as a couple of decades ago, and we’re proud to work with bull breeders from Northland to Southland who are making such great strides in this area,” he says.
“With the value of beef currently heading in the right direction, diversifying revenue through the sale of beef animals is something more dairy farmers are considering. LIC is well equipped to help farmers select a breed of beef animal that is suitable for their farm system, offering a diverse variety of beef options.
“LIC is keen to push the boundaries of what can be achieved by investing in dairy beef breeding programmes. In doing so, we’re anticipating what sort of dairy beef product the market will demand in the future. We’re not afraid to invest now in the right genetics and the right data to meet that future market.”
For more information contact your local LIC Representative or Farm Source team member.
References
1 - Iremonger, Matt. 2024. “What’s the beef? Opportunities for Beef on Dairy in New Zealand.” www.nuffieldscholar.org
2 - DairyNZ. Dairy beef. https://www.dairynz.co.nz/animal/breeding-decisions/dairy-beef/