There were 86.7 million head of cattle and calves on United States farms as of Jan. 1, according to the Cattle report published Jan. 31 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Other key findings in the report were:
- Of the 86.7 million head inventory, all cows and heifers that have calved totaled 37.2 million.
- There are 27.9 million beef cows in the U.S. as of Jan. 1, down 1% from last year.
- The number of milk cows in the U.S. increased slightly to 9.35 million.
- The U.S. calf crop was estimated at 33.5 million head, down slightly from the previous year.
- All cattle on feed were at 14.3 million head, down 1% from 2024.
To obtain an accurate measurement of the current state of the U.S. cattle industry, the NASS surveyed approximately 36,100 operators across the nation during the first half of January. Surveyed producers were asked to report their cattle inventories as of Jan. 1, and their calf crop for the entire year of 2024 by internet, mail, telephone or in-person interview.
The report and all other NASS reports are available at nass.usda.gov/Publications.
