Head-to-head Beef InFocus Wins

April 6, 2023

As many of you know, the market shift in the dairy industry to utilize sexed genetics on the best genetic quality females and beef on the animals with lower genetic quality has been a game changer. It has allowed dairy producers to have the flexibility to dial in their genetic selection with their custom index and increase their selection intensity. ABS Global’s Winning Game Plan (as we like to call it) is a sexed and beef cross strategy that’s built for dairy producers—while delivering what the beef supply chain demands! 

Here are three reasons why utilizing beef semen is wise.  

1. Increase genetic progress through using sexed semen on your very best females to make replacements and capitalize with beef genetics on your mature, high producing cows.   

2. Reduce heifer inventories by only creating the right number of heifers needed for future replacements.   

3. Market higher value calves by producing beef cross calves from superior beef genetics that are of increased valued in the beef supply chain than dairy bull calves or generic beef on dairy calves.   

This shift has caused the beef supply chain to see a large increase in the number of beef cross calves entering the marketplace over the last several years. In today’s market, generic beef on dairy is no longer accepted at the end of the supply without experiencing discounts. Processors are looking to separate beef on dairy from high-quality beef cross calves. Feedyards are looking to source value added and predictable cattle to fill their yards as they are competing every day for packer space. That’s why it is more important, now than ever before, to utilize the right beef sires that maximize dairy profitability while improving beef supply chain efficiency. It’s time to differentiate your beef cross calves in the marketplace. 

Beef InFocus is the only beef on dairy program designed with the dairy in mind that requires rigorous testing based on dairy performance indicators, all while producing beef cross calves that perform in the beef supply chain. Providing genetics that work in customer systems is our motivation.  

Thus, we are dedicated to test-driving our products in research trials which allows you to see our genetics in action as well as be able to trust the performance in your herd. It is one thing to say: “this is how we think our genetics will perform.” It is another to demonstrate how they are performing in the industry.  

The beef supply chain recognizes the differences in variation amongst beef cross calves. That’s why we completed a trial directly comparing Beef InFocus sired calves with high quality, high $Beef Angus sired calves. We’ve put the industry’s best against each other. We all can look good against the industry’s bottom end, but we wanted to see how we stacked up against the elite.  

Overall, ABS Beef InFocus cattle increased total returns by $113/head over the Angus sired at the end of the trial. 

Let’s dig into how we performed, head-to-head.  

1. Beef InFocus cattle outperformed the high $B Angus sired cattle with an average daily gain of 0.4 more pounds per day. 

2. The average daily gain of Beef InFocus animals allowed the cattle to reach optimum harvest weight three weeks earlier than the Angus sired animals, thus decreasing total feedyard costs. 

3. Beef InFocus calves consumed one less pound of feed per pound of gain as compared to high $B Angus.  

4. Improved feed efficiency with the Beef InFocus cattle resulted in more than a 10 percent feedyard cost savings for a total of $160 per head in cost savings. 

5. Beef InFocus cattle produced carcasses that exceeded industry average for quality grade and hot carcass weight. 

Beef InFocus animals fed more efficiently and took fewer days for them to finish, making the Beef InFocus cattle more valuable. 

Beef InFocus sires improve returns based because they are bred by design for the factors that matter to the beef supply chain: growth, feed intake, and carcass quality. The only program validated for dairy performance and intended for beef supply chain efficiency and marketability.  

Interested in making the best beef cross calves that minimize risk to the dairy, yet increase returns in the beef supply chain? Contact your local ABS Representative to discuss Beef InFocus or complete the form below.