PRODUCING DAIRY-BEEF: STARTING OFF ON THE RIGHT HOOF

Jul 18, 2023

This is part two in a series that will explore the opportunities and challenges of dairy-beef cross calves with perspectives from across the value chain including the primary producer, backgrounder, feedlot and processor.

Part one of this series discussed the challenges and opportunities for the feeding and processing sectors. For these sectors to turn a profit from dairy-beef calves, these animals need to have the right start.

Management of dairy-beef calves is variable from operation to operation; however, a strong focus needs to be placed on the early care of these calves. Practices such as adequate colostrum, early health protocols, proper nutrition and housing are all necessary to develop an animal that is desirable for the beef sector.

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Video: Learning to Wrench From Dad the Hard Way

Harvest is a week out and the farm picked this week to fall apart. The truck needs a battery, the barn curtain's got a problem, and the corn and beans are telling us we're out of time to get it all fixed.

So it's a full day of wrenching. Tork supervises while I get the truck back running, then we're out at the hog barn where one rusted up part has the whole curtain system hung up. Ladder work, cable work, and a little dad-and-son disagreement about the right way to do it. We close it out walking the fields, shelling beans and checking corn, because whether everything's fixed or not, harvest starts when harvest starts.

Chapters: 00:00 Everything breaks the week before harvest 01:00 Tork supervises while I fix the truck 12:30 Out to the barn to find the curtain problem 14:30 One rusty part hung up the whole curtain 20:00 Running the curtain cable from the ladder 24:00 Walking the beans and corn before harvest 26:30 Wrapping up

We're a 6th generation family farm in southeast Iowa showing the real ups and downs of pig farming and row crop farming. No script, just the work. Subscribe and follow along.

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