It was a year of mixed dairy numbers in 2024. Milk prices and income margins improved from 2023, but total milk production and average cow numbers were down from a year earlier.

The U.S. average prices received for cull cows (beef and dairy, combined) in July 2025 averaged $157 per cwt, up $15 per cwt from July 2024 setting a new all-time high for cull cow prices.

Nineteen states including Idaho, Texas and Kansas boosted milk production a combined 654 million pounds in August.

The milk production forecast for 2025 is raised on higher cow inventories and a faster rate of growth in milk output per cow. Estimated at 230 billion pounds of milk, it was raised 800 million pounds from last month’s report.

Modest milk price recovery and steady consumer demand helped stabilize revenue growth for the world’s largest dairy companies in 2024, according to the latest annual international report from Rabobank.

The spirit of silage season remains, and I see it every year in the way dairy farm families and neighbors come together – just like we did on our farm when I was a kid. Silage chopping has always been more than just a week of hard work, it’s a community effort and the foundation for high-quality feed that keeps our cows fed year-round.

Cull cow slaughter rates increase despite a smaller dairy herd and increased demand and prices for dairy cow replacements.