Maintaining the size of the U.S. dairy herd in 2016 will require heavier culling, based on the USDA’s semi-annual estimate of dairy cows and heifers.

The USDA released its semi-annual Cattle report on Jan. 29, including survey-based estimates of U.S. dairy cows, replacement heifers and heifers expected to calve within the next year.

As of Jan. 1, 2016, milk cows during the previous year were estimated at 9.315 million head, up 8,500 head from Jan. 1, 2015, and the highest Jan. 1 total since 2009.

While cow numbers were up fractionally, dairy replacement heifers (greater than 500 pounds) were estimated at 4.824 million head, up about 113,600 head from a year ago, and the highest total in the past decade. Based on those estimates, there were 51.8 heifers (greater than 500 pounds) per 100 cows as of Jan. 1, 2016, up about 1.2 heifers per 100 cows compared with 2015’s revised estimate.

And of those total dairy replacement heifers, 3.117 million head are expected to calve in 2016, up 65,000 from 2015. As of Jan. 1, 2016, there were 33.5 replacements expected to calve in 2016 for every 100 cows currently in the U.S. herd, slightly more than a year ago.

The USDA’s semi-annual Cattle report includes both beef and dairy cattle inventory estimates, based on January 2016 surveys of about 37,900 livestock operations across the U.S.  PD

—Compiled by Progressive Dairyman staff