More dairy cows headed to second career: beef

By Abbi Prins, Cobank

Hoards Dairyman Intel

Now that March has rolled around, it’s spring-cleaning season and dairy farmers are getting in the spirit as more dairy cows are sent to the beef packer. Dairy cow slaughter has been higher year-over-year for 23 consecutive weeks, with the exception of one lone week in early February. For 2026 alone, 3,900 more cows have been culled each week on average compared to a year ago, resulting in year-to-date slaughter being 35,000 head or 7.5% higher than the year prior. Read More