January 1 Cattle Inventory Down Two Per Cent

US - All cattle and calves in the United States as of 1 January 2009, totaled 94.5 million head, two per cent below the 96.0 million on 1January 2008.

2 February 2009

2 minute read

North America

All cows and heifers that have calved, at 41.0 million, were down two per cent from the 41.7 million on 1 January 2008.

Beef cows, at 31.7 million, were down two per cent from 1 January 2008.
Milk cows, at 9.33 million, were up one per cent from 1 January 2008.

Other class estimates on 1 January 2009, and the change from 1 January 2008, are as follows:

All heifers 500 pounds and over, 19.6 million, down one per cent.
Beef replacement heifers, 5.53 million, down two per cent.
Milk replacement heifers, 4.41 million, down slightly.
Other heifers, 9.65 million, down oneper cent.
Steers weighing 500 pounds and over, 16.8 million, down two per cent.
Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over, 2.18 million, down one pe rcent.
Calves under 500 pounds, 14.9 million, down one pecent.
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in all feedlots, 13.9 million, down seven per cent.
The combined total of calves under 500 pounds, and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds outside of feedlots was 27.5 million, up one per cent.

Calf Crop Down Two Per Cent

The 2008 calf crop was estimated at 36.1 million head, down two per cent from 2007. Calves born during the first half of the year are estimated at 26.3 million, down one per cent from 2007.