Kentucky Ag Connection - January Cattle Inventory Down Slightly

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January Cattle Inventory Down Slightly
Kentucky Ag Connection - 03/18/2019

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the Cattle report February 28th, showing a slight decline in overall numbers for cattle in Kentucky compared to 2018. The Kentucky cattle and calf inventory for January 1, 2019 was estimated at 2.13 million head according to the Kentucky Field Office of the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Total inventory was down 30,000 head from last year.

Cows and heifers that have calved were estimated at 1.07 million head, down 20,000 head from the 1.09 million for 2018. Beef cow inventory was estimated at 1.02 million head and milk cows were estimated at 53,000 head.

Heifers 500 lbs. and over were estimated at 305,000 head, unchanged from last year's estimate. Beef replacement heifers totaled 130,000 head, down 15,000 from January 2018. Dairy heifers, at 45,000 head, were unchanged from 2018. Other heifers, at 130,000 head, were up 15,000 from the previous year. Steers 500 lbs. and over numbered 225,000 head, up 30,000 from 2018. Bulls 500 lbs. and over were unchanged head from a year ago and numbered 70,000 head. Calves less than 500 lbs. were estimated at 460,000 head, down 40,000 from the 2018 estimate. Cattle on feed were estimated at 16,000 head, down 1,000 from the previous year.

The 2018 calf crop was estimated at 970,000 head, down 20,000 from the previous year's estimate.

All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 2019 totaled 94.8 million head, slightly above the 94.3 million head on January 1, 2018. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 41.1 million head, were 1 percent above the 40.9 million head on January 1, 2018. Beef cows, at 31.8 million head, were up 1 percent from a year ago. Milk cows, at 9.35 million head, were down 1 percent from the previous year. All heifers 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2019 totaled 20.2 million head, slightly above the 20.2 million head on January 1, 2018. Beef replacement heifers, at 5.92 million head, were down 3 percent from a year ago. Milk replacement heifers, at 4.70 million head, were down 1 percent from the previous year. Other heifers, at 9.60 million head, were 3 percent above a year earlier. Steers weighing 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2019 totaled 16.6 million head, up 1 percent from January 1, 2018. Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2019 totaled 2.26 million head, up slightly from January 1, 2018. Calves under 500 pounds as of January 1, 2019 totaled 14.5 million head, up 1 percent from January 1, 2018.

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 14.4 million head on January 1, 2019. The inventory is up 2 percent from the January 1, 2018 total of 14.1 million head. Cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 81.3 percent of the total cattle on feed on January 1, 2019, up slightly from the previous year. The combined total of calves under 500 pounds and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds (outside of feedlots) is 26.4 million head. This is 1 percent above January 1, 2018.

The 2018 calf crop in the United States was estimated at 36.4 million head, up 2 percent from last year's calf crop. Calves born during the first half of 2018 were estimated at 26.6 million head, up 3 percent from the first half of 2017. Calves born during the second half of 2018 were estimated at 9.80 million head, 27 percent of the total 2018 calf crop.

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