# February cow numbers were up for the eighth consecutive month

> USDA preliminary data showed February milk output at 17.63 billion pounds, down 1.5% year over year but up about 2.0% after adjusting for leap day. January output was revised up to a 2.4% gain, and the cow herd rose for an eighth straight month to 9.46 million head.

- Date: 2021-03-31 · published 2021-03-31T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/5253-february-cow-numbers-were-up-for-the-eighth-consecutive-month
- Commodities: [Milk (Class III)](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MILK.md)

## Why it matters

Persistent herd growth and higher output per cow add to milk supply, which is bearish for dairy prices and dairy-based feed demand. The upward January revision adds to the supply picture.

## Read by commodity

- MILK: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| MILK | 2023-04-05 | [Most dairy product production up for February - Brownfield Ag News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/36409-most-dairy-product-production-up-for-february-brownfield-ag-news.md) | +3.4% | -7.1% |
| MILK | 2025-07-11 | [July WASDE forecasts higher milk yield per cow, rising cow numbers \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23900-july-wasde-forecasts-higher-milk-yield-per-cow-rising-cow-numbers-ag-proud.md) | +0.3% | -0.1% |
| MILK | 2022-09-22 | [Milk Production, Cow Numbers Slowly Creeping Back Up - EDairy News English](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39596-milk-production-cow-numbers-slowly-creeping-back-up-edairy-news-english.md) | +0.1% | +9.4% |
| MILK | 2019-10-28 | [Milk output climbs despite drop in cow numbers](https://feedsoft.ai/events/4110-milk-output-climbs-despite-drop-in-cow-numbers.md) | +8.1% | +9.1% |
| MILK | 2025-04-04 | [USDA February 2025 Dairy Products Report \| The Bullvine](https://feedsoft.ai/events/25121-usda-february-2025-dairy-products-report-the-bullvine.md) | +1.5% | +8.9% |

## Sources

- farmersadvance.com: https://www.farmersadvance.com/story/news/2021/03/31/february-cow-numbers-were-up-eighth-consecutive-month/7005881002/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.