Dairy Beef Short Course to feature management of dairy-beef crossbreds
Dairy steers are unique feedlot animals.
1/29/25
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Feedlot producers should plan to attend the 2025 Dairy Beef Short Course on March 25 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This year’s program features unique aspects of managing dairy-beef crossbreds such as implants, vaccinations, early calf nutrition, and feedlot economics. Iowa State University extension beef specialist Beth Doran said that while dairy-beef crossbreds differ from straight-bred beef cattle, they have some positive aspects.
“Dairy-beef crossbreds tend to have more marbling and better yield grades, although on average there is more sickness and greater carcass price discounts,” she said. “However, dairy-beef animals can provide opportunities for cattle feeders such as source verification and pen uniformity.”
The Dairy Beef Short Course features a broad range of topics and speakers.
- Update on Implants – Zachary Smith, South Dakota State University
- Vaccination Management – Jennifer Spencer, Texas A&M University
- Preparing Dairy-Beef Calves for the Feedlot – Gail Carpenter, Iowa State University
- Research on Dairy-Beef Crossbreds in the Feedlot – Garland Dahlke, Iowa State University
- Economics of Dairy-Beef in the Feedlot – Melanie Pimentel-Concepcion, Michigan State University
- Hoof Lameness in Feedlot Cattle – Sara Erickson, TELUS Agricultural
The short course will be held at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, and runs from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. The agenda and other details are available on the I-29 Moo U website here https://i-29moou.com/dairy-beef-short-course.
Registration will be available online beginning Jan. 31 at https://go.iastate.edu/DBSC25 Fee is $75, plus $15 if a printed copy of the proceedings is desired. Student fee is $20. Registration closes March 14.
The Dairy Beef Short Course is offered by the I-29 Moo University - a collaboration of Iowa State University, University of Nebraska, University of Minnesota, and South Dakota State University, and sponsoring organizations.
For more information, contact Doran by phone at 712-737-4230 or email at doranb@iastate.edu.
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The Iowa Beef Center at Iowa State University was established in 1996 with the goal of supporting the growth and vitality of the state’s beef cattle industry. It comprises faculty and staff from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Veterinary Medicine, and works to develop and deliver the latest research-based information regarding the beef cattle industry. For more information about IBC, visit www.iowabeefcenter.org.
Contact:
Beth Doran, ISU extension beef specialist, 712-737-4230, doranb@iastate.edu
