Dairy Week In Review

Based on the May USDA Milk Production report, U.S. milk output totaled 19.9
billion pounds, a 1.6 percent increase from May 2024’s levels. This marks the
second consecutive month of production gains for 2025. May U.S. production
per cow averaged 2,110 pounds, up 7 pounds from May 2024 to May 2025.
The U.S. milking herd rose 114,000 head and 5,000 head year over year and
month over month, respectively. This is the highest number of cows reported
since August 2021. April’s revised cow numbers showed a 15,000 head
increase from March to April 2025. Strong beef prices continue to lead to
tightening heifer inventories and high replacement costs. Dairy farmers are still
retaining more of their cull cows in lieu of buying replacement heifers, thus
bolstering the U.S. cow numbers.

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