DairyCo

UK Cow Numbers

Published 13 December 11

Cow Numbers 

• Dairy cow numbers continue to fall, falling by 33,000 in the last year.
• In the UK there are now 1.81 million dairy cows in the dairy herd.
• The number of cows in the dairy herd has fallen 7.2% in the last five years.

Defra figures for June 2011 show that the number of dairy cows in the UK herd has fallen by 33,000 (1.8%) when compared to last year. There are now 1.81 million dairy cows in the UK dairy herd, a fall of 7.2% (140,000 dairy cows) in the last five years.

The number of female cattle aged over 24 months but that have not calved has increased by 2.0% in the last year to 403,000, suggesting that the number of cattle available to enter the herd in the short-term has also risen marginally. The number of female dairy cattle aged between 12 and 24 months has increased by 2,000 (0.4%) since June 2010, the lowest figure since June 2007 and an indication that the decline in the UK herd is beginning to stall.   

Provisional defra figures show that average yield of dairy cattle has increased by 331 litres per cow per annum between 2009/10 and 2010/11. For more information on average milk yields click here.

Note: Scotland uses survey data, since 2005 for England and 2004 for Wales, the Cattle Tracing System (CTS) has been used, from 2006 Northern Ireland has used APHIS. This has meant that figures and categories vary significantly from those listed before. At present the only figures available from the new system are for June 2005 to 2011.

Sources: DEFRA