Dairy replacement heifer values are off to a checkered start to 2023. Values dipped slightly in California, remained in the doldrums in Wisconsin, but posted healthy showings in Pennsylvania and western Minnesota. Pipestone Minnesota Livestock Auction, which serves a healthy share of the burgeoning South Dakota dairy industry, was the healthiest of the four featured markets, topping out at $1,850/head for top-quality Holstein springers. Nationwide, the U.S. dairy replacement heifer population was down 2% year-over-year in 2022, according to the USDA’s most recently released Cattle Report. In its latest Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Report, USDA also lowered the price forecast for all-milk values in 2023 to $21.60/cwt., down $1.10 from the forecast published in December 2022. A smaller dairy herd size also is forecast for 2023, as producers respond to lower milk prices and steady-to-higher feed costs.
February 14, 2023
dairyherd.com
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