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 Dec. 19, the number of dairy cull cows marketed through U.S. slaughter plants in November 2024 was estimated at 210,300. While down 25,300 from October, it was also 19,400 fewer than November 2023 and the lowest November total since 2009.
November 2023 had 26 non-holiday weekdays and Saturdays, while November 2024 also had 26 days. Slaughter averaged 8,100 head per business day this year, down about 700 from a year earlier.
The week ending Nov. 23 marked the only week in more than a year that weekly slaughter topped the same week a year earlier.
Combining the final 17 weeks of 2023 and the first 49 weeks of 2024, dairy market cow slaughter was down more than 444,000 head from the corresponding period a year earlier.
The USDA estimated there were 9.365 million dairy cows in U.S. herds in November 2024, down 5,000 head from the October estimate and putting the November culling rate at about 2.2% of the herd. Based on the monthly data, year-to-date (January-November) dairy cull cow slaughter now stands at about 2,501,100 head, down 350,700 from the same period a year ago and the lowest 11-month total since 2008.
Read: Milk production down 1% from USDA estimates a year ago
Heaviest dairy cow culling during November occurred in the Upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) at 56,300 head. That was followed in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada) at 48,500 head.
Other monthly regional totals were estimated at 28,100 head in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas; 27,800 head in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia; and 24,300 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: Replacement cow prices climbed to a record-breaking high in October
