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GB dairy cow population: Milking herd declines despite good milk prices
Thursday, 22 May 2025
As of 1 April 2025, the latest BCMS data shows that the GB milking herd stood at 1.62 million head, a decline of 0.9% year-on-year. This is the lowest April figure recorded.
Youngstock numbers (under two years of age), continued to decline for the ninth quarter. This was the largest category drop, down by 19,000 head from a year ago. The 2–4 years age category showed a similar decline of 16,000 head. This low supply of youngstock raises concerns about sourcing heifer replacements at accessible prices. Bluetongue spread and increased use of beef semen could impact herd size over the coming years.
GB dairy population
Source: BCMS
A decline was also seen in the over 8 years category, down by 9,000 head. Fewer older cows indicates a shift toward greater efficiency, likely to be incentivised by the rise of cull cow prices, potentially outweighing the rewards of the attractive milk to feed price ratio.
Cows aged 4–6 years old were the only category to record year-on-year growth, up almost 10,000 head. This is the second consecutive quarterly increase for this age group, with the trend feeding through from increased youngstock numbers recorded from late 2020 through to early 2023.
The average age of the milking herd stands at 4.55 years, matching the figure recorded in April last year. Maintenance of the lowest average age recorded for April, alongside high milk volumes, shows a long-term trend towards a more efficient national herd.
Annual change in GB dairy herd by age as of 1 April 2025
Source: BCMS
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