USDA Summary of 1998 Herd Averages

G.R. Wiggans
Agricultural Research Service - USDA
Beltsville, Maryland

Table 1. Averages of DHI cow herds by herd size, 1998.

  Fat Protein
Herd size (cow-years per herd) Herds Cow-years Milk (lb)
 Cow-years
(%)		 (%) (lb) Cow-years
(%)		 (%) (lb)
5- 24 1,411 23,535 16,151 100 3.99 643 100 3.34 539
25- 49 9,487 374,007 18,286 100 3.78 691 99 3.21 588
50- 74 10,075 612,171 19,133 99 3.75 718 99 3.21 614
75- 99 5,218 446,655 19,442 98 3.73 727 98 3.22 627
100- 149 4,438 532,374 19,495 96 3.71 728 96 3.22 631
150- 199 1,726 295,497 19,526 94 3.71 733 93 3.23 636
200- 299 1,458 350,813 19,705 92 3.69 740 91 3.23 645
300- 399 649 223,545 20,423 91 3.66 760 85 3.22 673
400- 499 368 163,611 20,625 90 3.64 768 82 3.22 680
500- 749 521 314,498 20,723 91 3.63 762 81 3.23 682
750- 999 259 223,737 21,312 91 3.60 779 77 3.21 700
1,000-1,499 250 301,917 21,346 94 3.60 774 78 3.22 690
1,500-1,999 98 168,362 21,482 97 3.59 778 82 3.24 699
2,000-2,999 55 127,543 21,880 91 3.57 794 71 3.17 701
3,000-3,999 21 71,335 22,657 96 3.58 808 83 3.15 718
4,000+ 5 26,127 20,219 100 3.57 723 82 3.23 643
All Herds 36,038 4,255,727 19,949 95 3.69 740 90 3.22 644

Table 2. Averages of DHI cow herds by breed and category of testing plan, 1998.

  Fat Protein
Breed Category of test plan Herds Cow-years Cow-years per herd Milk (lb) Cow-years
(%)		 (%) (lb) Cow-years
(%)		 (%) (lb)
AYRSHIRE Official 184 8,527 46 15,288 99 3.89 594 99 3.33 509
  Management 16 718 46 12,785 100 3.91 501 100 3.29 420
  All plans 199 9,245 46 15,094 100 3.89 587 100 3.32 502
BROWN SWISS Official 327 16,128 49 16,835 99 4.04 683 100 3.54 597
  Management 26 935 36 14,396 100 4.21 606 100 3.52 507
  All plans 352 17,063 48 16,701 99 4.04 679 100 3.54 592
GUERNSEY Official 258 11,873 46 14,286 100 4.49 642 99 3.54 506
  Management 68 2,702 40 13,118 100 4.47 587 99 3.48 456
  All plans 326 14,575 45 14,070 100 4.49 632 99 3.53 497
HOLSTEIN Official 23,317 3,199,570 137 20,610 97 3.63 752 92 3.20 661
  Management 8,812 754,029 86 19,080 88 3.76 725 82 3.20 616
  All plans 32,129 3,953,599 123 20,318 95 3.65 747 90 3.20 653
JERSEY Official 1,265 137,441 109 14,423 99 4.65 672 99 3.74 540
  Management 187 11,710 63 12,541 94 4.64 587 92 3.75 475
  All plans 1,452 149,151 103 14,275 99 4.65 666 98 3.74 535
MILKING SHORTHORN Official 47 2,361 50 13,826 100 3.54 489 100 3.28 453
  Management 8 336 43 14,657 100 4.02 589 100 3.29 482
  All plans 55 2,697 49 13,930 100 3.60 501 100 3.28 457
RED AND WHITE Official 34 1,914 55 19,967 100 3.69 736 100 3.17 634
  Management 6 288 48 17,179 100 3.71 638 100 3.20 549
  All plans 40 2,202 54 19,602 100 3.69 723 100 3.18 623
MIXED Official 1,128 78,963 70 16,347 97 3.84 634 97 3.31 544
  Management 356 28,232 79 15,584 88 3.95 629 82 3.35 530
  All plans 1,484 107,195 72 16,146 95 3.87 633 93 3.32 541
All breeds Official 26,561 3,456,777 130 20,209 97 3.67 745 92 3.22 651
  Management 9,477 798,950 84 18,827 88 3.78 719 83 3.21 609
  All plans 36,038 4,255,727 118 19,949 95 3.69 740 90 3.22 644

Table 3. Averages of official DHI cow herds by state, 1998.

  Fat Protein
State Herds Cow-years Cow-years per herd Milk (lb) Cow-years
(%)		 (%) (lb) Cow-years
(%)		 (%) (lb)
Alabama 70 12,023 172 16,171 87 3.69 600 88 3.27 532
Alaska . . . . . . . . . .
Arizona 56 66,879 1,196 21,202 100 3.53 749 96 3.15 669
Arkansas 75 7,489 99 15,999 99 3.57 573 99 3.26 523
California 1,027 735,171 716 21,074 100 3.65 770 77 3.26 685
Colorado 71 29,539 417 23,702 100 3.55 841 98 3.18 756
Connecticut 123 15,056 123 21,497 98 3.63 786 98 3.16 684
Delaware 32 4,429 139 20,928 100 3.78 790 100 3.20 670
Florida 68 33,293 490 17,934 35 3.43 661 35 3.15 607
Georgia 191 46,584 243 17,868 64 3.48 636 57 3.21 580
Hawaii 1 301 302 15,855 100 3.42 543 0 . .
Idaho 219 63,319 289 21,353 100 3.59 766 100 3.29 702
Illinois 655 53,599 82 19,098 100 3.69 705 100 3.22 615
Indiana 485 40,945 84 19,399 99 3.69 717 99 3.24 630
Iowa 1,272 98,989 78 19,316 100 3.71 716 100 3.22 622
Kansas 326 31,959 98 19,146 90 3.66 680 90 3.22 599
Kentucky 275 23,491 85 16,623 96 3.65 609 96 3.28 547
Louisiana 144 19,231 133 14,690 72 3.52 529 72 3.26 490
Maine 165 14,004 85 20,247 95 3.74 751 95 3.24 650
Maryland 450 40,646 90 19,993 100 3.83 765 100 3.23 646
Massachusetts 133 10,954 82 20,018 100 3.82 765 100 3.24 649
Michigan 994 122,487 123 21,331 94 3.80 807 95 3.22 687
Minnesota 3,299 267,135 81 19,802 100 3.73 738 100 3.21 635
Mississippi 74 13,178 179 17,136 96 3.63 626 96 3.25 560
Missouri 460 39,754 86 17,069 99 3.65 622 99 3.26 556
Montana 59 7,339 125 20,186 100 3.53 712 100 3.19 643
Nebraska 266 29,662 111 19,343 100 3.69 714 100 3.23 625
Nevada 21 9,795 467 19,770 100 3.76 744 98 3.32 657
New Hampshire 110 10,264 93 21,648 100 3.76 815 100 3.23 699
New Jersey 95 8,295 87 19,917 100 3.83 763 100 3.22 641
New Mexico 31 38,085 1,232 21,767 97 3.46 749 91 3.16 683
New York 2,566 286,081 111 20,423 98 3.69 755 98 3.17 647
North Carolina 237 36,597 154 19,340 93 3.65 707 93 3.17 615
North Dakota 73 6,800 93 17,990 97 3.56 644 99 3.19 576
Ohio 992 85,867 87 19,991 100 3.73 745 100 3.25 651
Oklahoma 131 14,496 111 17,052 100 3.43 585 100 3.22 549
Oregon 245 46,979 191 21,138 100 3.73 789 100 3.30 697
Pennsylvania 3,851 274,447 71 20,351 100 3.66 744 100 3.19 650
Puerto Rico 167 41,272 246 9,724 61 3.03 283 83 3.19 308
Rhode Island 7 479 69 21,266 100 3.74 794 100 3.16 672
South Carolina 88 16,524 188 17,432 100 3.85 671 100 3.28 571
South Dakota 194 17,960 93 18,381 100 3.70 681 100 3.21 591
Tennessee 296 35,120 119 17,332 94 3.61 626 94 3.23 559
Texas 293 104,185 355 19,699 83 3.57 717 81 3.24 649
Utah 216 39,145 181 20,906 100 3.57 747 100 3.21 672
Vermont 500 49,065 98 19,825 95 3.76 748 95 3.22 641
Virginia 522 67,046 128 19,481 99 3.60 703 99 3.19 621
Washington 264 66,833 253 23,151 100 3.60 834 99 3.20 742
West Virginia 76 8,182 107 18,485