The United States Department of Agriculture reported this week that dairy cow slaughter was up 16,000 head over December, a jump of 6.3%.

And culling through federally inspected slaughter plants was also up 3,500 head over January, 2016. However, January 2017 had one more business day than a year ago. So on a daily basis, January 2017 over a year ago slaughter actually declined about 465 head per day, or about 3.5%.

Total cattle slaughter was up 9.2% over a year ago, and on a daily basis, up 4.3%.

  |  BY: JIM DICKRELL