USDA on Friday estimated there were 86.2 million head of cattle and calves in the U.S. as of Jan. 1, down fractionally from 86.5 million head on the same date a year ago.
In its semi-annual Cattle Inventory report, USDA put all cows and heifers that have calved at 37.2 million head, slightly below the 37.3 million head seen on Jan. 1 of last year. Beef cows totaled 27.6 million head, down 1% from a year ago, while milk cows, at 9.57 million head, were up 2% from the previous year.
All heifers 500 pounds and over totaled 18.0 million head, 1% below the 18.1 million head seen a year ago. Beef replacement heifers totaled 4.71 million head, up 1% from Jan. 1, 2025. Milk replacement heifers were down slightly from last year at 3.90 million hyead, while “other heifers” were down 2% at 9.4 million head.
Steers weighing 500 pounds and over came in at 15.6 million head, down 1%, from a year ago, while bulls weighing 500 pounds and over were up slightly at 2.01 million head. Calves under 500 pounds totaled 13.3 million head, down slightly from last year.
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 13.8 million head on Jan. 1, down 3% from 14.3 million head at the same time last year. Cattle on feed in
feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 82.7% of the total cattle on feed on Jan. 1, up slightly from last year. The combined total of calves under 500 pounds and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds (outside of feedlots), totaled 24.5 million head, up 1% from a year earlier.