U.S. Cattle Inventory Down 2%, Beef Cows Down 2%

U.S. Cattle Report

The U.S. cattle report shows all cattle and calves reported at 87.2 million head, 2% below the 88.8 million last year. The following is a breakdown of the report:

•            Cattle and calves, 87.2 million head, down 2%.

•            Cows and heifers that have calved, 37.6 million, down 2%.

•            Beef cows, 28.2 million, down 2%.

•            Dairy cows, 9.36 million, down slightly.

•            Heifers 500 pounds and over, 18.5 million, down 1%.

•            Beef replacement heifers, 4.86 million, down 1%

•            Dairy replacement heifers, 4.06 million, down slightly.

•            Other heifers, 9.57 million, down 2%.

•            Steers 500 pounds and over, 15.8 million, down 2%.

•            Bulls 500 pounds and over, 2.02 million, down slightly.

•            Calves under 500 pounds, 13.3 million, down 3%.

•            2023 calf crop, 33.6 million, down 2% from 2022.

•            Cattle on small grains pasture in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, 1.59 million, down 2%.

    Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 14.4 million head on Jan. 1, 2024. The inventory is up 2% from the Jan. 1, 2023, total of 14.2 million head. Cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 82.7% of the total cattle on feed on Jan. 1, 2024, up slightly from the previous year. The combined total of calves under 500 pounds and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds (outside of feedlots) is 24.2 million head. This is 4% below Jan. 1, 2023. View the full report here.