S1E445 - E445 Beef-on-Dairy’s $6,215 Secret: Why 72% of Herds Are Playing It Wrong

Seventy-two percent of dairy farms have jumped into beef-on-dairy breeding. Most are flying blind. University of Wisconsin research tested 30 different breeding strategies and uncovered a stark reality: herds at 30%+ pregnancy rate can generate $6,215 monthly in net calf income, while herds below 20% have no viable beef semen strategy at all. Zero. With the U.S. beef cow herd at a 64-year low, dairy heifer inventories at a record 2.5 million head, and beef-cross calves fetching $680-$1,160 at auction, the opportunity is massive—but the margin for error is vanishing. This episode breaks down the research, the math, and the three numbers th...