Highlights

  • Total cattle inventory continues to decline, falling by 1% from last year
  • Cattle on feed decreased by 1% to 14.3 million
  • The slight increase in milk cows is overshadowed by a 1% decrease in beef cows
  • Cattle herd continues to decline despite cattle prices increasing

Cattle Herd

The total inventory of all cattle and calves in the United States on January 1, 2025, dropped from 87.2 million to 86.7 million in 2024 (Figure 1). Although the decrease of 1% is less than last year, it shows that the U.S. cattle herd remains in a contraction phase.

Figure 1. US January Cattle Inventories

According to the report, there are 27.9 million...