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 Nov. 22, the number of dairy cull cows marketed through U.S. slaughter plants in October 2024 was estimated at 235,600. While up 25,200 from September, it was 7,300 fewer than October 2023 and the lowest October total since 2010.
The first week of November marked the 61st 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 44 weeks of 2024, dairy market cow slaughter was down nearly 430,000 head from the corresponding period a year earlier.
October 2023 had 26 non-holiday weekdays and Saturdays while October 2024 had 27 days. Slaughter averaged 8,700 head per business day this year, down about 600 from a year earlier.
The USDA estimated there were 9.365 million dairy cows in U.S. herds in October 2024, up 10,000 head from the September estimate and putting the October culling rate at about 2.5% of the herd. Based on the monthly data, year-to-date (January-October) dairy cull cow slaughter now stands at about 2,290,800 head, down 331,300 from the same period a year ago and the lowest 10-month total to start the year since 2008. Despite sky-high beef prices, the lower pace of culling has led to increases in autumn milk production and cow numbers.
Read: Milk production slightly higher than year ago for third consecutive month
Heaviest dairy cow culling during October occurred in the Upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) at 60,900 head. That was followed in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada) at 58,900 head.
Other monthly regional totals were estimated at 33,700 head in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia; 27,400 head in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington; and 26,800 head in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
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.
