Mid-Year Cattle Inventory: Calf Crop Down 1%

All cattle and calves in the United States on July 1, 2020 totaled 103 million head, slightly above the 103 million head on  July 1, 2019.

All cows and heifers that have calved totaled 41.4 million head, slightly below the 41.6 million head on July 1, 2019. Beef cows, at 32.1 million head, down 1 percent from a year ago. Milk cows, at 9.35 million head, up 1 percent from previous year.

All heifers 500 pounds and over on July 1, 2020 totaled 16.5 million head, 1 percent above the 16.4 million head on  July 1, 2019. Beef replacement heifers, at 4.40 million head, unchanged from a year ago. Milk replacement heifers, at 4.10 million head, unchanged from previous year. Other heifers, at 8.00 million head, 1 percent above a year earlier.

Steers 500 pounds and over on July 1, 2020 totaled 15.0 million head, up 2 percent from July 1, 2019.

Bulls 500 pounds and over on July 1, 2020 totaled 2.10 million head, unchanged from previous year.

Calves under 500 pounds on July 1, 2020 totaled 28.0 million head, down slightly from a year earlier.

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 13.6 million head on  July 1, 2020, unchanged from previous year. Cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 84.1 percent of the total cattle on feed on July 1, 2020, down slightly from previous year. The total of calves under  500 pounds and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds (outside of feedlots), at 37.4 million head, up 1 percent from the  37.1 million head on July 1, 2019.  

Calf Crop Down 1 Percent

The 2020 calf crop in the United States is expected to be 35.8 million head, down 1 percent from last year. Calves born during the first half of 2020 are estimated at 26.1 million head, down 1 percent from the first half of 2019. An additional 9.70 million calves are expected to be born during the second half of 2020.