Dairy calf registrations in UK: More calves born in Q4 means a stable GB dairy herd size

Published Mar 12, 2024

Tridge summary

In the fourth quarter of 2024, there was a 1.1% increase in calf registrations to dairy dams in Great Britain, reaching 359,000 head, compared to the same period in 2023. Despite fluctuations throughout the year, the total registrations for 2023 remained steady at 1.51 million head. The data also indicated a stable GB milking herd with a slight rise in younger cows and a shift towards block calving systems, resulting in more calves born to dairy dams in the autumn and fewer in the summer.

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

Original content

In the fourth quarter of 2024 calf registrations to dairy dams in GB totalled 359,000 head. This is an increase of 3,800 head (1.1%) compared to the same period of the previous year. Looking at the full year data for 2023, registrations were flat compared to 2022 at 1.51 million head. Year on year increases in Q1 and Q4 were balanced by declines in Q2 and Q3. BCMS data also showed stability in the GB milking herd, with a slight increase in the number of younger cows driving down the average age of a dairy cow. We can see illustrated in the registrations data the continued move of more farms to block calving systems. Comparing to the five-year average we see that registrations in Q3 of 2023 were up almost 12,000 ...

Source: Ahdb