The annual production of milk for the U.S. during 2017 was 215 billion pounds, 1.4 percent above 2016. Production per cow averaged 22,941 pounds for the year, about 163 pounds above 2016. The average annual rate of milk production per cow has increased 12.5 percent from 2008. The average number of milk cows on farms was 9.39 million head, up 0.7 percent from a year earlier.
