Britain's milking herd saw record low in October

Published 2024년 12월 6일

Tridge summary

Britain's milking herd hit a record low in October 2024, with a total of 1.64 million head, marking a 0.9% decrease from the previous year, according to AHDB. The overall herd total was 2.55 million, a 1.5% decrease year-on-year. The number of cows across all age groups except those that were 2-4 years old also fell. The average age of a cow in the GB milking herd remained stable at 4.55 years. The youngest age group (less than 2 years old) saw the most significant decline, with a 2.5% drop. This trend has been ongoing since October 2022, attributed to farmers more efficiently managing their dairy replacement heifers by reducing the use of dairy semen when milk prices were low. Despite the overall decline, the improved milk prices and decreasing input costs could encourage producers to grow numbers. The loss mainly came from cows between the ages of 6-8 and over 8 years, with cull cow prices remaining favourable, indicating a move towards herd efficiency.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Britain's milking herd was at its lowest number on record for the month of October, according to new figures published by AHDB. A total of 1.64 million head was recorded for October 2024, the lowest number recorded for that month, and a 0.9% fall compared to the same month the previous year. The GB herd total came to 2.55 million head, a year-on-year decline of 1.5%. A fall was seen across all age groups, with the exception of the 2–4-year age bracket. AHDB said that culling of older cows helped to maintain the average age of a cow in the GB milking herd at 4.55 years, very slightly younger than last year’s figure. Dairy cows between 2-4 years of age were the only category to see an increase, having risen by 2,000 head (+0.3%) year-on-year, as calves born from the youngstock boom of 2021 progress into the milking herd. All other age categories of the GB milking herd recorded year-on-year declines in numbers, the levy organisation explained. The greatest change was seen in the ...

Source: FarmingUK