DairyTalk 647: Cutting Herds by 10 to 20 Percent? When Feed Shortages Dictate Cow Numbers- by Helmut Demmelhubetr

DairyTalk by Helmut Demmelhuber · Aug 12, 2026 · 22m

This podcast episode is based on a technical article from agrarheute examining how prolonged drought is beginning to reshape dairy and cattle production across parts of Germany. In the hardest-hit regions, silage maize yields have collapsed while farms are already feeding winter forage reserves three to four months ahead of schedule. That creates a difficult economic choice: purchase increasingly expensive feed or sell cows and sacrifice future milk production. Early increases in cow slaughter and herd reductions suggest that some producers have already reached that decision point. The…