United States and Canadian Cattle ISSN: 1949-1859 Released August 25, 2021, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). United States and Canadian Cattle Inventory Down 1 Percent All cattle and calves in the United States and Canada combined totaled 113 million head on July 1, 2021, down 1 percent from the 114 million head on July 1, 2020. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 45.4 million head, were down 1 percent from a year ago. All cattle and calves in the United States as of July 1, 2021, totaled 101 million head, down 1 percent from July 1, 2020. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 40.9 million head, were down 1 percent from a year ago. All cattle and calves in Canada as of July 1, 2021, totaled 12.3 million head, up slightly from the 12.3 million head on July 1, 2020. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 4.54 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, 2016-2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Class : 2016 1/ : 2017 : 2018 : 2019 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 head : Cattle and calves ....................: 114,635.0 115,265.0 114,900.0 : Cows and heifers that have calved ....: 46,227.8 46,503.7 46,235.1 Beef cows ..........................: 35,871.1 36,134.0 35,967.0 Milk cows ..........................: 10,356.7 10,369.7 10,268.1 : All other cattle .....................: 68,407.2 68,761.3 68,664.9 : Calf crop 2/ .........................:39,335.1 40,104.3 40,659.6 39,927.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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, 2020 and 2021 [Blank data cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent of Class : 2020 : 2021 : previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------ 1,000 head ----- percent : Cattle and calves .....................: 114,465.0 113,185.0 99 : Cows and heifers that have calved .....: 45,982.2 45,441.4 99 Beef cows ...........................: 35,660.1 34,950.1 98 Milk cows ...........................: 10,322.1 10,491.3 102 : All other cattle ......................: 68,482.8 67,743.6 99 : Calf crop 1/ ..........................: 39,480.2 (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, 2016-2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class : 2016 1/ : 2017 : 2018 : 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head : Cattle and calves ......................: 102,100.0 102,800.0 102,600.0 : Cows and heifers that have calved ......: 41,500.0 41,800.0 41,600.0 Beef cows ............................: 32,100.0 32,400.0 32,300.0 Milk cows ............................: 9,400.0 9,400.0 9,300.0 : Heifers 500 pounds and over ............: 16,200.0 16,300.0 16,300.0 For beef cow replacement .............: 4,700.0 4,600.0 4,400.0 For milk cow replacement .............: 4,200.0 4,200.0 4,100.0 Other heifers ........................: 7,300.0 7,500.0 7,800.0 : Steers 500 pounds and over .............: 14,500.0 14,500.0 14,600.0 Bulls 500 pounds and over ..............: 2,000.0 2,100.0 2,100.0 Calves under 500 pounds ................: 27,900.0 28,100.0 28,000.0 : Calf crop 2/ ...........................:35,062.7 35,758.2 36,312.7 35,591.6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, 2020 and 2021 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent of Class : 2020 : 2021 : previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------ 1,000 head ----- percent : Cattle and calves .....................: 102,200.0 100,900.0 99 : Cows and heifers that have calved .....: 41,400.0 40,900.0 99 Beef Cows ...........................: 32,050.0 31,400.0 98 Milk Cows ...........................: 9,350.0 9,500.0 102 : Heifers 500 pounds and over ...........: 16,200.0 16,000.0 99 For beef cow replacement ............: 4,400.0 4,300.0 98 For milk cow replacement ............: 4,000.0 4,100.0 103 Other heifers .......................: 7,800.0 7,600.0 97 : Steers 500 pounds and over ............: 14,700.0 14,500.0 99 Bulls 500 pounds and over .............: 2,100.0 2,100.0 100 Calves under 500 pounds ...............: 27,800.0 27,400.0 99 : Calf crop 1/ ..........................: 35,135.5 35,100.0 100 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ January to December calf crop. Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service. Cattle and Calf Inventory by Class and Calf Crop - Canada: July 1, 2016-2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Class : 2016 : 2017 : 2018 : 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head : Cattle and calves ......................:12,530.0 12,535.0 12,465.0 12,300.0 : Cows and heifers that have calved ......: 4,679.0 4,727.8 4,703.7 4,635.1 Beef cows ............................: 3,736.6 3,771.1 3,734.0 3,667.0 Milk cows ............................: 942.4 956.7 969.7 968.1 : Heifers 1 year and over ................: 2,018.1 1,990.1 2,005.7 1,944.5 For beef cow replacement .............: 674.5 687.9 679.6 635.6 For milk cow replacement .............: 438.9 437.6 435.2 439.2 Other heifers ........................: 904.7 864.6 890.9 869.7 : Steers 1 year and over .................: 1,568.1 1,548.5 1,541.3 1,505.8 Bulls 1 year and over ..................: 223.4 223.5 222.5 218.9 Calves under 1 year ....................: 4,041.4 4,045.1 3,991.8 3,995.7 : Calf crop 1/ ...........................: 4,272.4 4,346.1 4,346.9 4,335.7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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, 2020 and 2021 [Blank data cells indicate estimation period has not yet begun] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent of Class : 2020 : 2021 : previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ----- 1,000 head ----- percent : Cattle and calves .....................: 12,265.0 12,285.0 100 : Cows and heifers that have calved .....: 4,582.2 4,541.4 99 Beef cows ...........................: 3,610.1 3,550.1 98 Milk cows ...........................: 972.1 991.3 102 : Heifers 1 year and over ...............: 1,964.1 1,986.7 101 For beef cow replacement ............: 630.8 654.7 104 For milk cow replacement ............: 441.8 445.5 101 Other heifers .......................: 891.5 886.5 99 : Steers 1 year and over ................: 1,493.3 1,466.0 98 Bulls 1 year and over .................: 217.7 226.8 104 Calves under 1 year ...................: 4,007.7 4,064.1 101 : Calf crop 1/ ..........................: 4,344.7 (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 23, 2021. Canadian inventory numbers were previously released on August 23, 2021. 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 Ryan Cowen - Cattle, Cattle on Feed .......... (202) 720-3040 Anthony Fischer - Hogs and Pigs .............. (202) 720-3106 Logan Hartley-Sanguinett - Sheep and Goats ... (202) 690-3236 Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278 Suzanne Richards - Dairy Products ............ (202) 720-4448 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 agency's archived reports. The new website, https://usda.library.cornell.edu. 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