Despite high beef prices, a smaller dairy herd and higher demand and prices for dairy cow replacements have now impacted cull cow slaughter rates for a full year.
Based on latest USDA monthly data released Sept. 19, the number of dairy cull cows marketed through U.S. slaughter plants in August 2024 was estimated at 231,300. While up 5,400 from July, it was 43,900 fewer than August 2023 and the lowest August total since 2020.
The final week of August marks the 52nd consecutive week that dairy market cow slaughter has been below the same week a year earlier. Combining the final 17 weeks of 2023 and the first 35 weeks of 2024, dairy market cow slaughter was down about 388,000 head from the corresponding period a year earlier.
Both August 2023 and 2024 had 27 non-holiday weekdays and Saturdays. Slaughter averaged 8,600 head per business day this year, down about 1,600 from a year earlier.
The USDA estimated there were 9.325 million dairy cows in U.S. herds in August 2024, unchanged from the July estimate and putting the August culling rate at about 2.5% of the herd. Based on the monthly data, year-to-date (January-August) dairy cull cow slaughter now stands at about 1,845,400 head, down 293,200 from the same period a year ago and the lowest eight-month total to start the year since 2010. Despite sky-high prices, the lower pace of culling may lead to increases in September milk production and cow numbers.
Read: Milk production decreases slightly in August USDA estimate
Heaviest dairy cow culling during June occurred in the Upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) at 59,300 head. That was followed in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada) at 51,600 head.
Other monthly regional totals were estimated at 34,700 head in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia; 29,300 head in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas; and 27,000 head in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Primary data for the USDA’s Livestock Slaughter report is obtained from reports from about 900 federally inspected plants and nearly 1,850 state-inspected or custom-exempt slaughter plants.
Read also: Prices for U.S. replacement dairy cows reached an all-time high in July, according to latest quarterly estimates from the USDA.
