UK Cattle Numbers Fall, But Flock Increases

UK - The provisional results of the December 2007 UK Livestock Survey show that the total cattle herd has decreased by three per cent to just over 10 million head.

31 March 2008

3 minute read

Europe

The total breeding herd has decreased by two per cent which has resulted in the number of younger cattle falling by three per cent. Therefore, it is expected that UK beef production will fall in the coming years.

Beef cows down 3%

Dairy cows make up 54 per cent of the breeding herd and in 2007 they decreased by one per cent to 1.98 million head. Beef cow numbers contracted by three per cent to 1.66 million head. The largest drop in the beef herd occurred in NI, where beef cows fell nine per cent to just under 250,000 head. The beef herd was more stable in England, were numbers decreased by only one per cent to 750,000 head. Scottish beef cow numbers fell three per cent to 470,000, while in Wales there was a two per cent fall to 239,000 cows. Since the beef herd is declining at a faster rate than the dairy herd, beef production in the UK will become more reliant on cattle originating from the dairy herd.

More lambs on farm in December 2007 The UK flock grew one per cent to 23.7 million head in December 2007. The reason for the increase in the flock was a five per cent rise in the number of lambs under one year still on farm in December 2007. This was particularly the case in England, where those numbers were nine per cent higher than in 2006, due to the movement restrictions caused by FMD and Bluetongue problems.

The overall breeding flock continued to decline, albeit at a slower rate than in previous years. While ewe numbers fell in England and Scotland, they increased by one per cent in Wales and by 12 per cent in NI.

The bottom line for the UK sheepmeat industry is that production is likely to continue to follow its current downward path. There will be a small increase in output at the start of 2008, due to the increased lamb carryover from last year, but the reduction in the breeding flock means that overall output will fall, unless there are significant changes in ewe productivity.

United Kingdom
(‘000)	2005	2006	2007	%07/06
CATTLE
Dairy Cows	2,009	2,005	1,977	-1
Beef Cows	1,749	1,715	1,663	-3
Dairy Heifers	463	452	415	-8
Beef Heifers	371	364	381	+5
Beef Heifers	371	364	381	+5
Other Cattle
2 years & over	324	341	338	-1
1-2 years	2,618	2,520	2,457	-3
Under 1 year	3,042	2,938	2,843	-3
Total Cattle	10,576	10,335	10,075	-3