Project details
Status: Current
At a glance
- This project is part of Dairy HIGH2, a long-term research partnership between TIA and Dairy Australia.
- Dairy HIGH 2 (short for ‘high integrity grass-fed herds’) has a focus on feedbase research to help dairy farmers maintain efficient, profitable and sustainable pasture based dairy systems into the future.
- This project aims to provide research and resources to support Tasmanian dairy farmers looking at rearing NRDC for the beef market.
What is the challenge?
Developing a market for non-replacement dairy calves (NRDC's) to be reared for beef in Australia presents a potential alternative source of income for dairy farmers while also addressing sustainability concerns.
As an island state, dairy beef in Tasmania faces challenges like access to processors, lack of commercial calf rearing facilities, and limited markets for dairy × beef animals.
Knowing what markets are available in Tasmania, and ensuring calves are bred, fed and managed to meet market specifications, will help ensure there is a buyer for the weaned dairy x beef calves.
What are we doing?
The first part of this project involves collating and developing resources for farmers interested in rearing NRDC for beef. Resources include case studies, breeding options and Tasmanian markets. These resources are developed in consultation with Tasmanian farmers and broader dairy industry.
The second part of this project involves research to better understand practices around bull selection, and how this impacts cow and calf outcomes.
