Total cattle, calves on 1 January 2020 down compared to a year ago

 Cows and heifers that have calved were 45.2 million head (down 1.1 percent) with the bulk of the decline coming from beef cows which were 34.9 million head (down 1.3 percent) while milk cows declined marginally (0.1 percent) to just over 10.3 million head. The calf crop was 40.3 million head, down 0.7 percent with all other cattle at 59.3 million head, a 2.1 percent decline from the prior year.

US cattle statistics in the publication are the same as those found in the 1 January Cattle Inventory report released on 31 January 2020, which have been previously discussed. The Canadian cattle and calves inventory was 11.2 million head, a 1.9 percent decline from the prior year and a 24.8 percent decline from the peak of 14.9 million head in 2005.

The steady decline in Canadian cattle numbers is due to a reduction in cows and heifers that have calved which was 4.5 million head, down 2.0 percent from the prior year and the lowest in at least two decades.

In 2005, there were 6.3 million cows and heifers, a 28.2 percent reduction over the last 15 years to today. Canada’s calf crop was nearly 4.3 million head, down 0.8 percent from the prior year, but remained in line with the ten-year average which ranged from 4.2-4.8 million head.

Twice a year USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) releases two publications with statistics on US and Canadian cattle and hog inventories. The two publications are a joint effort by Statistics Canada and NASS. The information is intended to provide producers and industry with additional information, in one publication, regarding cattle and hog supplies in the two countries.

You can view the latest US and Canadian Cattle report by clicking here.