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ANALYSIS: US Dairy Herd Shows Continued Robust Growth
The USDA’s September data showed a pronounced expansion in the US dairy herd in the 24 selected states; an increase of 235,000 cows year-over-year was reported. This marked acceleration from recent months. That gain helped lift national herd counts well above 2024 levels for much of 2025.
Producers are driving growth by retaining higher and mid‑producing cows for additional lactation cycles and keeping back added heifers on the farm. Those retention choices reflect the push for many operations to produce more milk to...
ANALYSIS: The Rise of Beef and Dairy Animal Crossbreeding in the US
Beef-on-dairy (beef x dairy) crossbreeding has gained significant traction in recent years, particularly the use of Holstein cows bred with widely used beef cattle breeds. Financial incentives are present for dairy farmers in times when milk checks remain uncertain.
Historically, however, the beef and dairy sectors have operated as largely separate industries. Dairy farms have primarily focused on milk production, with breeding programs aimed at optimizing traits like milk yield, udder health, and reproductive efficiency...
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