Bigger bulk tanks are becoming a necessity

Steadily declining farm numbers, but generally stable total cow numbers, have been parallel trends for many years in the U.S. dairy industry. As a result, there has been remarkable growth in average herd size which in 2008 reached 163 cows.

Just by themselves, more cows will eventually test the milk storage capacity of every dairy that is growing. But that isn’t the only pressure being applied because average production per cow also tends to increase each year. Ups and downs do occur, but the average gain is typically about 350 pounds per year.

More cows per herd making more milk means that today’s average dairy is producing far more milk per year than it did a decade ago, and for some that may create a need for bigger bulk tanks – or more of them.

In 1992, the average dairy milked 75 cows that averaged 15,415 pounds per year. In 2008, the averages had grown to 163 cows and 20,396 pounds. As a result, the growth in total production per farm is eye-opening:

• In 1992, the average U.S. dairy produced 1,153,092 pounds of milk per year.
• In 2008, the average dairy produced nearly three times as much: 3,325,726 pounds per year.

That’s just the average, though. Some states have total production averages miles above that. New Mexico leads the rest of the country with an average of 49,115,763 pounds per farm per year -- or more than 134,000 pounds per day. Missouri had the lowest average of 917,625 pounds per farm per year.