With beef cow slaughter down 20% and cull bulls breaking the $200/cwt. barrier, record-heavy steer weights are fueling a surge in demand for lean beef to blend for the spring grilling season.

For 2026 alone, 3,900 more cows have been culled each week on average compared to a year ago, resulting in year-to-date slaughter being 35,000 head or 7.5% higher than the year prior.

“At the end of 2022 on the farm, the average dairy was getting paid about a $1 to $1.50 a hundredweight in beef equivalent ...

Columnist Dennis Sun writes, "Higher beef prices and improved genetics are rewriting the dairy industry. Older dairy cows producing milk at higher ...

Dairy cows line up to eat in the barn. (USDA photo) Revenue from breeding beef calves softened the blow of drop in milk prices during 2025. By hanging on to cows for breeding, farms may have fed an ...

U.S. milk production is expected to edge higher in 2026 with better yields and a slightly larger national herd, but strong supply means prices are predicted to drop for most dairy segments, according ...

Texas dairies capitalize on beef-on-dairy breeding as calf values skyrocket while milk production hits record 18.2 billion pounds.

Take a closer look at the dairy aisle, and it seems simple at first glance. You see cow’s milk, maybe a few plant-based options, and move on.