Dairy Heifers Numbers Up 1%

The Agriculture Department’s Cattle report also issued this afternoon shows that, as of January 1, 2015, the number of heifers, 500 pounds and over expected to calve in 2015 totaled 2.997 million head, up 30,500 head or 1 percent from January 2014. Milk cow replacements, 500 pounds and over, totaled 4.62 million head, 66,700 more than a year ago or up 1%. Meanwhile; the dairy herd is pegged at 9.27 million cows, up 1% from a year ago.

The total number of cattle and calves in the U.S. on January 1, was 89.8 million head, up 1.3 million head or 1 percent above January 2014. Cattle on feed, at 13.1 million head, are up 1 percent from a year ago.

Source: DairyBusiness Update Daily