Mandy Schmidt

Marketing feeder cattle on the grid

Selling cattle on the grid might be confusing for dairy producers. Understanding how premiums and discounts work at a packer can aid in management decisions that will bring a profit.

November 17, 2023

Mandy Schmidt

If you still view your beef-on-dairy crossbred calves as a byproduct, you are probably still getting paid byproduct prices. Embrace your beef crossbreeding program as a revenue stream, and look for strategies to capture the most value per head.

Creating genetically marketable surplus replacement heifers

When selling replacement heifers, don't market subpar genetics. Take action at breeding to create animals other producers want in their herds.

October 27, 2023

Mandy Schmidt

If you were in need of replacements, would you be excited to buy your heifers?

Selling the cows? 4 things to avoid

Feeding a high-quality ration, maintaining consistent genetics, managing data and having a proper plan in place can add to your final paycheck.

August 23, 2023

Mandy Schmidt

Proactively strategize with your dairy’s key stakeholders to maximize cattle marketability in case the time comes to sell the cows.

How does animal welfare tie into your genetic plan?

Fertility, antibiotic use, touchpoints and social sustainability all play into the status of animal welfare on your dairy. Being cautious of each of these topics and understanding their effect on your herd's performance is a crucial management practice.

October 22, 2022

Mandy Schmidt

In modern society’s regulatory climate, the public increasingly influences day-to-day management procedures. Your “Big Brother” managers have hardline opinions. Their operating guidelines come in the form of propositions, government-led regulations and processor demands.

Genetics vs. your milk check

Genetics heavily influence your milk production and in turn, influence your milk check.

August 19, 2022

Mandy Schmidt

Performance is a combination of genetics and environment. According to the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), milk production is 20% correlated to genetics.

Beef-on-dairy calves cause supply chain problems

The downward swing in national cattle numbers means that, for now, processors will continue to source dairy crossbred cattle. They will tolerate the liver and reduced yield issues. But it will be at a price.

June 30, 2022

Mandy Schmidt

Beef-on-dairy crossbreds with the right genetics can be competitive with native beef cattle in feed efficiency and carcass yield.

Your herd’s genetic investment portfolio

April 19, 2022

Mandy Schmidt

Unlike the stock market where you can cash out on a bad investment, bad genetic decisions stick with your herd and stay for generations.

Insider tip: Don’t overspend on sexed semen

November 11, 2021

Mandy Schmidt

Your sexed semen costs might be higher than they should be, but not because your A.I. sales representative is deceiving you. Many dairies overspend on the volume of sexed semen purchased.

Beef-on-dairy crossbred calves through the supply chain

March 23, 2021

Mandy Schmidt

Price-taker mentality: Use whatever beef bull you need to get the cow pregnant with a black calf. If you don’t care about influencing your price for beef-on-dairy crossbred calves, the genetics you use don’t matter.