Despite high beef prices, a smaller dairy herd and unprecedented high prices for dairy cow replacements have now impacted cull cow slaughter rates for over a full year.
Based on latest USDA monthly data released Aug. 21, the number of dairy cull cows marketed through U.S. slaughter plants in July 2025 was estimated at 225,800. While up 37,000 from June, it was 100 fewer than July 2024.
July 2024 had 26 non-holiday weekdays and Saturdays, while July 2025 also had 26 days. Slaughter averaged 8,700 head per business day this year, the same as a year earlier.
Weekly slaughter in 2025 continues to follow long-term trends. Through the week ending Aug. 8, weekly dairy cow slaughter has trailed year-earlier levels in 26 of 32 weeks. Since September 2023 and through the week ending Aug. 8, weekly dairy cow slaughter has now trailed year-earlier levels for 94 of 101 weeks, with a total decline of nearly 553,400 head over that period.
The USDA estimated there were 9.485 million dairy cows in U.S. herds in July 2025, up 10,000 head from the June estimate and putting the July culling rate at about 2.4% of the herd. Based on the monthly data, year-to-date (January-July) dairy cull cow slaughter now stands at about 1,501,200 head, down 112,900 from the same period a year ago and the lowest seven-month total to start the year since 2008.
Read: Southwest pulls July U.S. milk production higher
Heaviest dairy cow culling during June occurred in the Upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) at 64,500 head. That was followed in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada) at 40,800 head.
Other monthly regional totals were estimated at 33,800 head in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas; 30,900 head in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia; and 28,400 head in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Primary data for the USDA’s Livestock Slaughter report is obtained from reports from about 900 federally inspected plants and nearly 1,850 state-inspected or custom-exempt slaughter plants.
Read also: Dairy replacement cow prices hit new unprecedented high, according to latest quarterly estimates from the USDA.
With a month lag in reporting data, the USDA’s Ag Prices report indicated U.S. average prices received for cull cows (beef and dairy, combined) in June 2025 averaged $150 per cwt, up $29 from December, and up $12 per cwt from June 2024. It is also up $8 from peaks in July and August last year, setting a new all-time high for cull cow prices.
