January 1 Cattle Inventory Down One Per Cent

US - All cattle and calves in the United States as of 1 January 2011 totalled 92.6 million head, one per cent below the 93.9 million a year earlier. This is the lowest 1 January inventory of all cattle and calves since the 91.2 million on hand in 1958.

1 February 2011

2 minute read

North America

All cattle and calves in the United States as of 1 January 2011 totalled 92.6 million head, one per cent below the 93.9 million on 1 January 2010. This is the lowest January 1 inventory of all cattle and calves since the 91.2 million on hand in 1958.

All cows and heifers that have calved, at 40.0 million, were down one per cent from the 40.5 million on 1 January 2010.

Beef cows, at 30.9 million, were down two per cent from 1 January 2010.
Milk cows, at 9.1 million, were up one per cent from 1 January 2010.

Other class estimates on 1 January 2011, and the change from 1 January 2010, are as follows:

All heifers 500 pounds and over, 19.5 million, down one per cent.
Beef replacement heifers, 5.2 million, down five per cent.
Milk replacement heifers, 4.6 million, up one per cent.
Other heifers, 9.8 million, up one per cent.
Steers weighing 500 pounds and over, 16.4 million, down one per cent.
Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over, 2.2 million, down two per cent.
Calves under 500 pounds, 14.5 million, down three per cent.
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in all feedlots, 14.0 million, up three per cent.
The combined total of calves under 500 pounds, and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds outside of feedlots was 26.7 million, down three per cent.

Calf Crop Down One Per Cent

The 2010 calf crop was estimated at 35.7 million head, down one per cent from 2009. This is the smallest calf crop since the 34.9 million born during 1950. Calves born during the first half of 2010 are estimated at 25.9 million, down one per cent from 2009.