Market News & Headlines >> U.S. Cattle Herd Growing

Friday’s semi-annual USDA Cattle Inventory report showed the U.S. cattle herd grew during 2014 for the first time in eight years and confirmed expansion of the beef cow herd as well.

The news was a mild surprise for livestock analysts who had expected the cattle herd to shrink slightly further. The report, which may weigh on both live cattle and feeder cattle futures on Monday, was made a bit more negative by the fact USDA revised the year-earlier cattle inventory upward.

USDA pegged the total U.S. cattle herd (all cattle and calves) as of Jan. 1 at 89.80 million head, or 101.4% of a year earlier and the largest in three years. The Jan. 1 2014 inventory was revised upward by 0.9% or 796,000 head. Trade estimates of the cattle herd averaged 99.9% of a year earlier.

The total U.S. cow herd was estimated by USDA at 39.00 million head, 101.8% of the year earlier total, which was revised upward by 0.1%. The beef cow herd was put at 29.693 million head, up 2.1% from a year earlier.

The number of heifers kept for beef replacement purposes was up 4.1% from a year earlier compared with trade estimates that ranged from 101.8-104.6%.

USDA pegged 2014 calf crop at 33.90 million head, 100.5% of a year earlier versus trade estimates that ranged from 97.0-100.5%.

The total Jan. 1 inventory of cattle on feed was 13.093 million head, or 100.6% of a year earlier.