Dairy replacement numbers are at a 20-year low. In a new report from CoBank, that trend is expected to continue until 2027. With high beef prices, the dairy heifer had more value in the feedlot than for future milk production. Dairy farmers also used more beef semen on dairy heifers and cows to capitalize on the demand for beef. CoBank said dairy replacement heifers were bringing upwards of $4,000 per head at Minnesota auction barns this summer. This trend is happening while dairy processors are investing more than $10 billion in facilities over the next two years.
