Here’s Where Dairy Fits in Cattle Herd Rebuild

An article by Hoards Dairyman

For the first time since July 2018, total U.S. cattle and calves grew 0.2%, or 200,000 head, to reach 94.2 million head, according tothe latest USDA Cattle report. Although this growth appears small, it still stands out after several years of tightening cattle supplies.

However, the report does not point to a clear-cut beef herd rebuild.

Beef cows were down 200,000 head from last year, while dairy cows were up by the same amount. Replacement numbers showedsome improvement, with both beef and dairy heifers up 100,000 head. If this trend holds and more are held back as breeding stock,feeder, and slaughter cattle, supplies will tighten further over the next couple of years before the total cattle herd stabilizes.

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