The average number of milk cows during September, at 1.28 million head, was unchanged from last month but up 22,000 from September 2020. Month production per cow averaged 2,035 pounds, up 30 pounds from last September.

Milk production in the 24 major states during September totaled 17.3 billion pounds, up 0.4% from September 2020. August revised production, at 17.9 billion pounds, was up 0.7% from August 2020. The August revision represented a decrease of 75 million pounds or 0.4% from last month’s preliminary production estimate.

Production per cow in the 25 major states averaged 1,937 pounds for September, 4 pounds below September 2020.

The number of milk cows on farms in the major states was 8.93 million head, 48,000 head more than September 2020, but 22,000 head less than August 2021.

Milk production in the United States during the July to September quarter totaled 55.9 billion pounds, up 0.9% from the July to September quarter last year.

The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 945 million head, 48,000 head less than the April to June quarter, but 74,000 head more than the same period last year.