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.
Due to the government shutdown, the USDA resumed its monthly Livestock Slaughter report released on Dec. 1. Based on latest USDA monthly data, the number of dairy cull cows marketed through U.S. slaughter plants in October 2025 was estimated at 243,000. While up 15,800 from September, it was also 7,400 more than October 2024.
October 2024 had 27 non-holiday weekdays and Saturdays, while October 2025 also had 27 days. Slaughter averaged 9,000 head per business day this year, up 300 head from a year earlier.
Weekly slaughter toward the end of 2025 has reversed a long-term trend. Through the week ending Nov. 15, weekly dairy cow slaughter has exceeded year-earlier levels in the past 10 weeks. Since September 2023 and through the week ending Sept. 6, weekly dairy cow slaughter had trailed year-earlier levels for 98 of 105 weeks with a total decline of nearly 556,100 head over that period. However, in the 10 weeks since, it has increased 15,253 head.
The USDA estimated there were 9.575 million dairy cows in U.S. herds in October 2025, down 6,000 head from the September estimate and putting the October culling rate at about 2.5% of the herd. Based on the monthly data, year-to-date (January-October) dairy cull cow slaughter now stands at about 2,188,800 head, down 102,000 from the same period a year ago and the lowest 10-month total since 2008.
Read: Cow numbers, milk production continue to increase in October USDA estimate
Heaviest dairy cow culling during October occurred in the Upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) at 63,300 head. That was followed in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada) at 53,300 head.
Other monthly regional totals were estimated at 34,400 head in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas; 32,300 head in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia; and 29,600 head in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
Primary data for the USDA’s Livestock Slaughter report is obtained from reports from about 1,100 federally inspected plants and nearly 1,825 state-inspected or custom-exempt slaughter plants.
The U.S. average prices received for cull cows (beef and dairy, combined) in October 2025 averaged $162 per cwt, up $20 per cwt from October 2024 setting a new all-time high for cull cow prices.
