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USDA: cattle inventory steady, calf crop down

The USDA’s cattle inventory numbers point to a modest industry contraction later this year.

The USDA estimates this year’s calf crop at 36.3 million head, down slightly from 2018, with all cows and heifers that have calved also declining slightly because of a 1% decline in milk cows. All cows and heifers were reported at 41.7 million head, with milk cows at 9.3 million and beef cows unchanged at 32.4 million head. The calf crop during the first half of the year was 26.5 million head, while the second half is projected at 9.8 million. All heifers weighing more than 500 pounds were up 1% at 16.4 million head, with a 5% jump in other heifers to 7.9 million canceling out a 2% decline for milk replacement heifers at 4.1 million head and a 4% drop for beef replacements to 4.4 million.

Steers weighing more than 500 pounds were 1% higher at 14.7 million head, bulls were unchanged at 2.1 million, and calves weighing less than 500 pounds were 1% lower than last year at 28.1 million head.

Cattle and calves on feed were 2% above a year ago at 13.6 million head, and while 84.4% of those cattle were on feedlots with more than 1,000 head, that’s down slightly on the year.

All cattle and calves on June 1st, 2019 were unchanged from June 1st, 2018 at 103 million head.