United States and Canadian Cattle
ISSN: 1949-1859
Released August 25, 2020, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
United States and Canadian Cattle Inventory Up Slightly
All cattle and calves in the United States and Canada combined totaled 115
million head on July 1, 2020, up slightly from the 115 million head on July
1, 2019. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 46.0 million head, were
down 1 percent from a year ago.
All cattle and calves in the United States as of July 1, 2020, totaled 103
million head, up slightly from July 1, 2019. All cows and heifers that have
calved, at 41.4 million head, were down slightly from a year ago.
All cattle and calves in Canada as of July 1, 2020, totaled 12.2 million
head, down 1 percent from the 12.3 million head on July 1, 2019. All cows and
heifers that have calved, at 4.58 million head, were down 1 percent from a
year ago.
Cattle and Calf Inventory by Class and Calf Crop - United States and Canada:
July 1, 2015-2018
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class : 2015 : 2016 1/ : 2017 : 2018
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 head
:
Cattle and calves ....................:110,715.0 114,635.0 115,265.0
:
Cows and heifers that have calved ....: 44,354.2 46,227.8 46,503.7
Beef cows ..........................: 34,106.4 35,871.1 36,134.0
Milk cows ..........................: 10,247.8 10,356.7 10,369.7
:
All other cattle .....................: 66,360.8 68,407.2 68,761.3
:
Calf crop 2/ .........................: 38,284.4 39,335.1 40,104.3 40,659.6
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ July 2016 United States "Cattle" report suspended due to budget
constraints.
2/ January to December calf crop.
Sources: National Agricultural Statistics Service and Livestock and Animal
Products Section, Statistics Canada.
Cattle and Calf Inventory by Class and Calf Crop - United States and Canada:
July 1, 2019 and 2020
[Blank data cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: : : Percent of
Class : 2019 : 2020 : previous year
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ------ 1,000 head ----- percent
:
Cattle and calves .....................: 115,200.0 115,235.0 100
:
Cows and heifers that have calved .....: 46,235.1 45,983.1 99
Beef cows ...........................: 35,967.0 35,666.3 99
Milk cows ...........................: 10,268.1 10,316.8 100
:
All other cattle ......................: 68,964.9 69,251.9 100
:
Calf crop 1/ ..........................: 40,395.2 (X)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(X) Not applicable.
1/ January to December calf crop.
Sources: National Agricultural Statistics Service and Livestock and Animal Products
Section, Statistics Canada.
Cattle and Calf Inventory by Class and Calf Crop - United States:
July 1, 2015-2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class : 2015 : 2016 1/ : 2017 : 2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 head
:
Cattle and calves ......................:98,100.0 102,100.0 102,800.0
:
Cows and heifers that have calved ......:39,700.0 41,500.0 41,800.0
Beef cows ............................:30,400.0 32,100.0 32,400.0
Milk cows ............................: 9,300.0 9,400.0 9,400.0
:
Heifers 500 pounds and over ............:15,700.0 16,200.0 16,300.0
For beef cow replacement .............: 4,800.0 4,700.0 4,600.0
For milk cow replacement .............: 4,200.0 4,200.0 4,200.0
Other heifers ........................: 6,700.0 7,300.0 7,500.0
:
Steers 500 pounds and over .............:14,100.0 14,500.0 14,500.0
Bulls 500 pounds and over ..............: 1,900.0 2,000.0 2,100.0
Calves under 500 pounds ................:26,700.0 27,900.0 28,100.0
:
Calf crop 2/ ...........................:34,086.7 35,062.7 35,758.2 36,312.7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ July 2016 United States "Cattle" report suspended due to budget
constraints.
2/ January to December calf crop.
Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Cattle and Calf Inventory by Class and Calf Crop - United States:
July 1, 2019 and 2020
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: : : Percent of
Class : 2019 : 2020 : previous year
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ------ 1,000 head ----- percent
:
Cattle and calves .....................: 102,900.0 103,000.0 100
:
Cows and heifers that have calved .....: 41,600.0 41,400.0 100
Beef Cows ...........................: 32,300.0 32,050.0 99
Milk Cows ...........................: 9,300.0 9,350.0 101
:
Heifers 500 pounds and over ...........: 16,400.0 16,500.0 101
For beef cow replacement ............: 4,400.0 4,400.0 100
For milk cow replacement ............: 4,100.0 4,100.0 100
Other heifers .......................: 7,900.0 8,000.0 101
:
Steers 500 pounds and over ............: 14,700.0 15,000.0 102
Bulls 500 pounds and over .............: 2,100.0 2,100.0 100
Calves under 500 pounds ...............: 28,100.0 28,000.0 100
:
Calf crop 1/ ..........................: 36,059.6 35,800.0 99
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ January to December calf crop.
Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Cattle and Calf Inventory by Class and Calf Crop - Canada: July 1, 2015-2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class : 2015 : 2016 : 2017 : 2018
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 head
:
Cattle and calves ......................:12,615.0 12,530.0 12,535.0 12,465.0
:
Cows and heifers that have calved ......: 4,654.2 4,679.0 4,727.8 4,703.7
Beef cows ............................: 3,706.4 3,736.6 3,771.1 3,734.0
Milk cows ............................: 947.8 942.4 956.7 969.7
:
Heifers 1 year and over ................: 2,042.7 2,018.1 1,990.1 2,005.7
For beef cow replacement .............: 642.8 674.5 687.9 679.6
For milk cow replacement .............: 433.6 438.9 437.6 435.2
Other heifers ........................: 966.3 904.7 864.6 890.9
:
Steers 1 year and over .................: 1,627.3 1,568.1 1,548.5 1,541.3
Bulls 1 year and over ..................: 222.5 223.4 223.5 222.5
Calves under 1 year ....................: 4,068.3 4,041.4 4,045.1 3,991.8
:
Calf crop 1/ ...........................: 4,197.7 4,272.4 4,346.1 4,346.9
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/ January to December calf crop.
Source: Livestock and Animal Products Section, Statistics Canada.
Cattle and Calf Inventory by Class and Calf Crop - Canada: July 1, 2019 and 2020
[Blank data cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: : : Percent of
Class : 2019 : 2020 : previous year
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ----- 1,000 head ----- percent
:
Cattle and calves .....................: 12,300.0 12,235.0 99
:
Cows and heifers that have calved .....: 4,635.1 4,583.1 99
Beef cows ...........................: 3,667.0 3,616.3 99
Milk cows ...........................: 968.1 966.8 100
:
Heifers 1 year and over ...............: 1,944.5 1,963.1 101
For beef cow replacement ............: 635.6 630.8 99
For milk cow replacement ............: 439.2 440.8 100
Other heifers .......................: 869.7 891.5 103
:
Steers 1 year and over ................: 1,505.8 1,493.3 99
Bulls 1 year and over .................: 218.9 217.7 99
Calves under 1 year ...................: 3,995.7 3,977.8 100
:
Calf crop 1/ ..........................: 4,335.6 (X)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(X) Not applicable.
1/ January to December calf crop.
Source: Livestock and Animal Products Section, Statistics Canada.
This publication is a result of a joint effort by Statistics Canada and NASS
to release the number of cattle and calves by class and calf crop for both
countries within one publication. This information was requested by the
United States cattle industry to provide producers additional information
about potential beef supplies. United States inventory numbers were
previously released on July 24, 2020. Canadian inventory numbers were
previously released on August 20, 2020.
Information Contacts
Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock
Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact
for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to
nass@usda.gov.
Travis Averill, Chief, Livestock Branch ......... (202) 692-0069
Scott Hollis, Head, Livestock Section ........... (202) 690-2424
Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (202) 690-8632
Holly Brenize - Sheep and Goats .............. (202) 720-0585
Ryan Cowen - Cattle, Cattle on Feed .......... (202) 720-3040
Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278
Suzanne Richards - Dairy Products ............ (202) 720-4448
Seth Riggins - Hogs and Pigs ................. (202) 720-3106
Access to NASS Reports
For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following
ways:
All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web
site: www.nass.usda.gov
Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e-
mail subscription. To set-up this free subscription, visit
www.nass.usda.gov and click on "National" or "State" in upper right
corner above "search" box to create an account and select the reports
you would like to receive.
Cornell's Mann Library has launched a new website housing NASS's and
other agencies archived reports. The new website,
https://usda.library.cornell.edu. All email subscriptions containing
reports will be sent from the new website,
https://usda.library.cornell.edu. To continue receiving the reports via
e-mail, you will have to go to the new website, create a new account
and re-subscribe to the reports. If you need instructions to set up an
account or subscribe, they are located at:
https://usda.library.cornell.edu/help. You should whitelist
notifications@usda-esmis.library.cornell.edu in your email client to
avoid the emails going into spam/junk folders.
For more information on NASS surveys and reports, call the NASS Agricultural
Statistics Hotline at (800) 727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail:
nass@usda.gov.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination against
its customers, employees, and applicants for employment on the basis of race,
color, national origin, age, disability, sex, gender identity, religion,
reprisal, and where applicable, political beliefs, marital status, familial
or parental status, sexual orientation, or all or part of an individual's
income is derived from any public assistance program, or protected genetic
information in employment or in any program or activity conducted or funded
by the Department. (Not all prohibited bases will apply to all programs
and/or employment activities.)
If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination,
complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (PDF), found online
at www.ascr.usda.gov/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer,
or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may
also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form.
Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department
of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue,
S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at
program.intake@usda.gov.