Culling cows appears to be one way dairy producers are dealing with negative margins, which allows them to manage cash flows and pay bills.
For the week ending Jan. 28, dairy cow slaughter exceeded 68,000 head. That’s one of the biggest cull numbers ever reported for late January. This is comparable only to 2021 and the mid 1980s when the government offered herd buyouts.
For the first four weeks of this year, Sarina Sharp with the Daily Dairy Report noted nearly 273,000 dairy cows were slaughtered, the most in over 35 years.
More Milk Production So Far in 2023
The new USDA Milk Production Report a more than 1% increase in milk production compared to January of last year. Following suit, cow numbers also showed growth with an increase of 38,000 additional head year-over-year.
Texas milk production has steadily grown over the last two decades. Last year the Lonestar state pushed past Idaho and currently ranks number three in the nation for milk production.
By AGDAY TV
February 28, 2023
dairyherd.com
