Excludes milk sucked by calves. Includes dry cows, excludes heifers not yet fresh. Excludes milk sucked by calves. Primary data used to determine these estimates were obtained from a sample of producers. Individual States maintain a list of all known milk producers and information on the size of their herd.
States use all known sources of producers to ensure that their lists are as complete as possible.
Generally, all large producers and a sample of small producers are included in the survey. Questionnaires are mailed to producers near the end of the month to obtain data for the first day of the month. Additional reports are obtained by telephone, as needed, to supplement the mail response. Individual State estimates are reviewed by the Agricultural Statistics Board for reasonableness. Milk production, rate per cow, and number of cows are subject to revision the following month for monthly States or the following quarter for the quarterly States.