Scottish dairy herds fall below 900 - as average herd size reaches record high

Figures released by the Scottish Dairy Cattle Association (SDCA) showed a drop of 27 herds year on-year to 891, compared to 5,735 herds when records began in 1903. But the number of milking cows rose 610 compared to January 2018.

Lanarkshire lost the most herds, with 11 fewer herds at the start of 2019 and cow numbers down 630 at 16,191. South West Scotland is still increasing in herd size although at a slower rate compared to recent years.

Average herd sizes have now reached 201, the highest on record, with the total milking cows the highest since 1997 at 179,538.

Cows’ officially milk recorded remained more than 70 per cent of the population but there has been a sizeable increase in somatic cell count monitoring and disease testing especially for Johne’s disease.