Paul Beck, Oklahoma State University

Calf supplies are expected to be tight this fall. The U.S. beef cow herd is the smallest since the early 1960s, and calf crops continue to shrink. Stocker operators will need to look for alternative sources of grazing cattle.

One option is beef-on-dairy crosses. Each year, U.S. dairies produce more than 4 million calves for beef production, and a growing share are dairy cows bred to beef sires. These crossbreds typically outperform straight dairy calves in growth, feed efficiency, and carcass value.

OSU Research Findings

Oklahoma State University has studied how beef-on-dairy crosses perform in both stocker and finishing systems.

  • In one trial, steers were finished either as lightweight calves (100 days old) or after 217 days of stocker grazing. Grazed calves gained 2.0 lbs./day while grazing and entered the feedlot at heavier weights and had improved carcass traits, but also consumed more feed than calves placed directly on feed (Grote et al., 2024).
  • A commercial-scale study in western Oklahoma compared beef-on-dairy calves to native beef calves. Dairy-beef crosses gained less during grazing than native beef calves on native range and entered the feedlot lighter but compensated during finishing to reach heavier slaughter weights (Grote et al., 2024).
  • In another wheat pasture study, 100-day old lightweight beef-on-dairy crosses struggled early, gaining only 0.75 pounds per day in the first month compared to 2.5 pounds for beef calves. Gains improved with time—gaining 3.3 lbs./day later in the grazing season (from day 84 to 140)—and over the 140-day grazing period they gained an average of 2 lbs./day compared to 2.75 for beef calves.

 Management Keys

The slower start on pasture is often due to previous management and new environment. Unlike beef calves raised alongside their dams, dairy-beef calves don’t learn grazing behavior early in life. When they leave the dairy, many are unfamiliar with hay, group housing, open pastures, or even water sources.

A 2–3 week receiving period is critical. This time allows calves to adjust to new feeds, learn to graze, and develop herd behavior before turnout. Once adapted, their grazing performance improves and becomes more competitive with beef calves.

Take-Home Message

With tight beef calf supplies, beef-on-dairy crosses are becoming an important option for stocker operators. They require careful management at receiving and early grazing, but they finish well in the feedlot and produce high-quality carcasses. These calves are likely to play a growing role in the U.S. beef supply.

This research was supported by the USDA Critical Agricultural Research and Extension (CARE) Award No. 2022-68008-37102.