January 1 Cattle Inventory Down Slightly

US - Released February 1, 2008, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

1 February 2008

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North America

All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 2008, totaled 96.7 million head, slightly below the 97.0 million on January 1, 2007.

All cows and heifers that have calved, at 41.8 million, were down 1 percent from the 42.0 million on January 1, 2007.

Beef cows, at 32.6 million, were down 1 percent from January 1, 2007.
Milk cows, at 9.22 million, were up 1 percent from January 1, 2007.

Other class estimates on January 1, 2008, and the change from January 1, 2007, are as follows:

All heifers 500 pounds and over, 20.0 million, down slightly.
Beef replacement heifers, 5.67 million, down 4 percent.
Milk replacement heifers, 4.46 million, up 3 percent.
Other heifers, 9.88 million, down slightly.
Steers weighing 500 pounds and over, 17.3 million, up slightly.
Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over, 2.21 million, down slightly.
Calves under 500 pounds, 15.4 million, down 1 percent.
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in all feedlots, 14.3 million, up slightly.
The combined total of calves under 500 pounds, and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds outside of feedlots was 28.2 million, down slightly.

Calf Crop Down Slightly

The 2007 calf crop was estimated at 37.4 million head, down slightly from 2006. Calves born during the first half of the year are estimated at 27.2 million, down 1 percent from 2006.

Revisions

All inventory and calf crop estimates for July 1, 2006, January 1, 2007, and July 1, 2007, were reviewed using calf crop, official slaughter, import and export data, and the relationship of new survey information to the prior surveys. Based on the findings of this review, small adjustments of less than one-half percent were made to previously released inventory estimates of beef cows, milk cows, milk replacement heifers expected to calve, and calf crop.

State level estimates were reviewed and changes were made to reallocate inventory and calf crop estimates to the U.S. total. No revisions were made to the Cattle on Feed estimate for January 1, 2007.