Cattle Inventory Highlights

January 1 Cattle Inventory Down 3 Percent

All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 2023 totaled 89.3 million head, 3 percent below the 92.1 million head on January 1, 2022.

All cows and heifers that have calved, at 38.3 million head, were 3 percent below the 39.4 million head on January 1, 2022. Beef cows, at 28.9 million head, were down 4 percent from a year ago. Milk cows, at 9.40 million head, were up slightly from the previous year.

All heifers 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2023 totaled 19.2 million head, 4 percent below the 19.9 million head on January 1, 2022. Beef replacement heifers, at 5.16 million head, were down 6 percent from a year ago. Milk replacement heifers, at 4.34 million head, were down 2 percent from the previous year. Other heifers, at 9.67 million head, were 3 percent below a year earlier.

Steers weighing 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2023 totaled 16.1 million head, down 3 percent from January 1, 2022.

Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2023 totaled 2.03 million head, down 4 percent from January 1, 2022.

Calves under 500 pounds as of January 1, 2023 totaled 13.6 million head, down 3 percent from January 1, 2022.

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 14.2 million head on January 1, 2023. The inventory is down 4 percent from the January 1, 2022 total of 14.7 million head. Cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 82.5 percent of the total cattle on feed on January 1, 2023, up 1 percent from the previous year. The combined total of calves under 500 pounds and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds (outside of feedlots) at 25.3 million head, was 3 percent below January 1, 2022.  

Calf Crop Down 2 Percent

The 2022 calf crop in the United States was estimated at 34.5 million head, down 2 percent from the previous year's calf crop. Calves born during the first half of 2022 were estimated at 25.3 million head, down 2 percent from the first half of 2021. Calves born during the second half of 2022 were estimated at 9.16 million head, 27 percent of the total 2022 calf crop.