All cattle and calves in the United States as of Jan. 1, 2020 totaled 94.4 million head, slightly below the 94.8 million head on Jan. 1, 2019, USDA NASS reported on Friday.
All cows and heifers that have calved, at 40.7 million head, were 1% below the 41.0 million head on Jan. 1, 2019. Beef cows, at 31.3 million head, were down 1% from a year ago. Milk cows, at 9.33 million head, were down slightly from the previous year.
All heifers 500 pounds and over as of Jan. 1, 2020 totaled 20.1 million head, slightly below the 20.2 million head on Jan. 1, 2019. Beef replacement heifers, at 5.77 million head, were down 2% from a year ago. Milk replacement heifers, at 4.64 million head, were down 1% from the previous year. Other heifers, at 9.71 million head, were 1% above a year earlier.
Steers weighing 500 pounds and over as of Jan. 1, 2020 totaled 16.7 million head, down 1% from Jan. 1, 2019.
Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over as of Jan. 1, 2020 totaled 2.24 million head, down 1% from Jan. 1, 2019.
Calves under 500 pounds as of Jan. 1, 2020 totaled 14.7 million head, up 1% from Jan. 1, 2019.
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 14.7 million head on Jan. 1, 2020. The inventory is up 2% from the Jan. 1, 2019 total of 14.4 million head. Cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 81.5% of the total cattle on feed on Jan. 1, 2020, 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) at 26.4 million head, was slightly below Jan. 1, 2019.
CALF CROP DOWN 1%
The 2019 calf crop in the United States was estimated at 36.1 million head, down 1% from last year’s calf crop.
Calves born during the first half of 2019 were estimated at 26.4 million head, down slightly from the first half of 2018.
Calves born during the second half of 2019 were estimated at 9.71 million head, 27% of the total 2019 calf crop.
| Cattle Inventory by Class and Calf Crop – U.S.: Jan. 1, 2019 and 2020 | |||
| Class | 2019 | 2020 | % of previous year |
| (1,000 head) | (1,000 head) | (percent) | |
| All cattle and calves | 94,804.7 | 94,413.3 | 100 |
| All cows and heifers that have calved | 41,044.1 | 40,651.3 | 99 |
| — Beef cows | 31,690.7 | 31,316.7 | 99 |
| — Milk cows | 9,353.4 | 9,334.6 | 100 |
| All heifers 500 lbs. and over | 20,210.0 | 20,114.4 | 100 |
| — For beef cow replacement | 5,884.9 | 5,771.9 | 98 |
| Expected to calve* | 3,528.9 | 3,499.4 | 99 |
| — For milk cow replacement | 4,701.5 | 4,637.0 | 99 |
| Expected to calve* | 3,005.7 | 2,931.4 | 98 |
| — Other heifers | 9,623.6 | 9,705.5 | 101 |
| Steers 500 pounds and over | 16,757.7 | 16,671.2 | 99 |
| Bulls 500 pounds and over | 2,253.0 | 2,237.4 | 99 |
| Calves under 500 pounds | 14,539.9 | 14,739.0 | 101 |
| All cattle on feed | 14,367.9 | 14,667.7 | 102 |
| ** | ** | ** | |
| 2018 | 2019 | % of previous year | |
| Calf crop | 36,312.7 | 36,059.6 | 99 |
| *Replacement heifers expected to calve during the year. | |||
Darrell Holaday, Country Futures, breaks down the inventory report here.
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