Market News & Headlines >> U.S. Cattle Herd Down Slightly

Friday afternoon’s semi-annual Cattle Inventory report from USDA showed the Jan. 1 U.S. cattle herd was slightly smaller than a year earlier, marking the end of a five-year period of herd expansion. 

USDA pegged the total Jan. 1 U.S. cattle herd at 94.413 million head, 99.6% of a year earlier compared with pre-report trade estimates averaging 99.5% in a range from 99.3%-99.7%, according to a Bloomberg survey of five analysts. 

USDA reported the total cow herd at 40.651 million head, 99.0% of a year earlier, compared with pre-report estimates that averaged 99.3% below a year earlier in a range from 98.6%-99.8%. 

The Jan. 1 beef cow herd came in at 98.8% of a year earlier versus trade estimates that averaged 99.4% in a range from 98.6%-99.9%. The milk cow herd came in at 99.8% of a year earlier compared with pre-report estimates that averaged 99.0% in a range from 96.9%-99.8%. 

Estimates of the U.S. beef cow herd average 0.6% below a year earlier in a range from 0.2% to 1.4% lower, while estimates of the milk cow herd average 1.0% below a year earlier in a range from 0.2% to 3.1% lower. 

The 2019 calf crop was pegged by USDA at 99.3% of a year earlier compared with trade estimates that averaged 99.8% in a range from 99.5%-100.2%.