Description: This chart uses state statistics to show the average size of Wisconsin dairy herds, and the annualized rate of growth in herd sizes for 5 year intervals between 1950 and 1999. The results indicate that herds have grew at a relatively constant rate (2.6-3.8 percent a year) for the 30 years prior to 1990. The past decade has seen increased variability as the rate of growth slowed in the early 1990s to 0.7 percent, but then increased considerably to 4.6 percent between 1995 and 1999. Overall growth during the 1990s was close to the 3 percent a year historical rate.

Source: The data come from published statistics compiled by the Wisconsin Agricultural Statistics Service (WASS), a division of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Most data are available in an annual WASS publication titled "Dairy Facts". For more recent data, visit their web site at: http://www.nass.usda.gov/wi/.