Dairy cows are taking while the national sheep flock is continuing a steady decline, Statistics New Zealand revealed today.

There was one milking cow for every New Zealander in 2009 with a record 4.6 million in the national herd. Total dairy cattle numbers hit 5.8 million during the year, up 4% on 2008.

The increase was due to both dairy conversions and also growth in the number of milking cows in existing herds, according to agriculture statistics manager Gary Dunnet.

Sheep numbers declined 5% on 2008 to 32.4 million.