It’s history in the making in U.S. dairy animal trade right now, as springer values stay knocking on the door of $4,000 per head, and calf prices continue to soar. Newborn beef-cross calves are bringing north of $1,000 per head nationwide. Ironically, those calves also are at least partially the source of climbing heifer values. In the January 2025 USDA Cattle Report, lactating dairy cows showed an annual tally of about 9.5 million head, up about 3,000 head from the previous year. But the count of dairy heifers 500 pounds and over fell nearly 40,000 head as dairy producers continue to reach for beef semen to raise high-in-demand crossbred calves. That demand is fueled by a dwindling U.S. beef cow herd, which the same report noted was the smallest in 64 years.
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