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 Livestock Slaughter report data released on Jan. 22, the number of dairy cull cows marketed through U.S. slaughter plants in December 2025 was estimated at 248,400. While up 44,300 from November, it was also 23,900 more than December 2024.
December 2024 had 26 non-holiday weekdays and Saturdays while December 2025 had 27 days. Slaughter averaged 9,200 head per business day this year, up 600 head from a year earlier.
Weekly slaughter toward the end of 2025 has reversed a long-term trend. Through the week ending Dec. 20, weekly dairy cow slaughter has exceeded year-earlier levels in the past 18 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 18 weeks since, it has increased 25,623 head.
The USDA estimated there were 9.567 million dairy cows in U.S. herds in December 2025, down 9,000 from the November estimate and putting the December culling rate at about 2.6% of the herd. Based on the monthly data, year-to-date (January-December) dairy cull cow slaughter now stands at about 2,641,300 head, down 84,300 from the same period a year ago and the lowest 12-month total since 2008.
Read: Milk production increases in December as dairy herd expands
Heaviest dairy cow culling during November occurred in the Upper Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) at 59,600 head. That was followed in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada) at 55,400 head.
Other monthly regional totals were estimated at 35,400 head in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas; 35,300 head in Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia; and 30,400 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.
Read also: Dairy replacement cow prices set new records in late 2025
