At 87.7 million head, the U.S. cattle herd—as of Jan. 1, 2014—is the smallest since 1951, according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The inventory was 2 percent below the previous year, marking the seventh straight year of decline.
The report also showed that beef cows, at 29 million, were down 1 percent from a year earlier. At 9.2 million, milk cows remain unchanged from 2013. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 38.3 million, were down 1 percent from Jan. 1, 2013 and the lowest number for that category since the 36.8 million in 1941.
The 2013 calf crop was estimated at 33.9 million head, down 1 percent from 2012. This is the smallest calf crop since the 33.7 million born during 1949.