Cattle Inventory Down 2%
All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 2013 totaled 89.3 million head, 2% below the 90.8 million on January 1, 2012. This is the lowest January 1 inventory of all cattle and calves since the 88.1 million on hand in 1952.
All cows and heifers that have calved, at 38.5 million, were down 2% from the 39.4 million on January 1, 2012. This is the lowest January 1 inventory of all cows and heifers that have calved since the 36.8 million head in 1941.
• Beef cows, at 29.3 million, were down 3% from January 1, 2012.
• Milk cows, at 9.2 million, unchanged from January 1, 2012.
Other class estimates on January 1, 2013 and the change from January 1, 2012, are as follows:
• All heifers 500 pounds and over, 19.1 million, down 1 percent.
• Beef replacement heifers, 5.4 million, up 2%.
• Milk replacement heifers, 4.6 million, down 2%.
• Other heifers, 9.2 million, down 3%.
• Steers weighing 500 pounds and over, 15.8 million, unchanged.
• Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over, 2.1 million, down 2%.
• Calves under 500 pounds, 13.8 million, down 2%.
• Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in all feedlots, 13.4 million, down 5%
• The combined total of calves under 500 pounds, and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds outside of feedlots was 25.5 million, up 1%..
Calf Crop Down 3 Percent
The 2012 calf crop was estimated at 34.3 million head, down 3% from 2011. This is the smallest calf crop since the 33.7 million born during 1949. Calves born during the first half of 2012 are estimated at 25.0 million, down 3% from 2011.
