USDA recently released its
2024 end-of-year projections on dairy farm numbers across the
US. The average dairy farm in the US today has 377 mature dairy
cows, while the average dairy farm in Pennsylvania has about 96
mature dairy cows. Although Pennsylvania’s dairy farms are still
much smaller than in other regions of the US, they are gradually
growing in herd size. With more cows, tighter margins, and increasing
expectations around animal care practices, there is an
increasing need for all dairy farms – even those relying on mostly
family labor – to understand and follow specific protocols on the
farm.