A shrinking milking herd is leading to a shortage of replacement females for sale through auction marts, with figures likely to fall further as more farmers rely on sexed semen for their own replacement females while also increasing their use of beef sires.

According to a report from AHDB Dairy, the number of blacking white animals in the GB milking herd at July 1, slipped by 4.1% (41,000 head) on the year, compared to a 2.7% decline for the whole milking herd.

Meanwhile, the number of freshly calved cows going through auction markets classified as ‘other dairy breeds’ has been increasing in recent months. However, numbers are still relatively small, at around 240 head per month. Other dairy breeds have gained popularity in recent years, and now account for 44% of the GB dairy herd.

With the milking herd only expected to decline further, it is likely that the number of animals available in auction markets will fall further.

Movement restrictions also limit animal availability. As such, farmers’ options for acquiring freshly calved animals may be further limited, making insemination decisions on farm of growing importance to ensure their requirement for replacement stock is met.