By DTN Staff

This article was originally posted at 2:06 p.m. CST on Friday, Jan. 30. It was last updated with additional information at 2:54 p.m. CST on Friday, Jan. 30.

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OMAHA (DTN) -- All cattle and calves in the United States as of Jan. 1, 2026, totaled 86.2 million head, slightly below the 86.5 million head on Jan. 1, 2025, USDA NASS reported on Friday.

All cows and heifers that have calved, at 37.2 million head, were slightly below the 37.3 million head on Jan. 1, 2025. Beef cows, at 27.6 million head, were down 1% from a year ago. Milk cows, at 9.57 million head, were up 2% from the previous year.

All heifers 500 pounds and over as of Jan. 1, 2026, totaled 18.0 million head, 1% below the 18.1 million head on Jan. 1, 2025. Beef replacement heifers, at 4.71 million head, were up 1% from a year ago. Milk replacement heifers, at 3.90 million head, were down slightly from the previous year. Other heifers, at 9.40 million head, were 2% below a year earlier.

Steers weighing 500 pounds and over as of Jan. 1, 2026, totaled 15.6 million head, down 1% from Jan. 1, 2025.

Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over as of Jan. 1, 2026, totaled 2.01 million head, up slightly from Jan. 1, 2025.

Calves under 500 pounds as of Jan. 1, 2026, totaled 13.3 million head, down slightly from Jan. 1, 2025.

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 13.8 million head on Jan. 1, 2026. The inventory is down 3% from the Jan. 1, 2025, total of 14.3 million head. Cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 82.7% of the total cattle on feed on Jan. 1, 2026, 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), at 24.5 million head, was 1% above Jan. 1, 2025.

CALF CROP DOWN 2%

The 2025 calf crop in the United States was estimated at 32.9 million head, down 2% from the previous year's calf crop, according to NASS. Calves born during the first half of 2025 were estimated at 24.2 million head, down 2% from the first half of 2024. Calves born during the second half of 2025 were estimated at 8.70 million head, 26% of the total 2025 calf crop, NASS said.

REVISIONS

All inventory and calf crop estimates for Jan. 1, 2025, and July 1, 2025, were reviewed using calf crop, official slaughter, import and export data, and the relationship of new survey information to the prior surveys, NASS said. Based on the findings of this review, 2024 calf crop decreased by 0.3%. Jan. 1, 2025, all cattle and calves decreased by 0.2% and all cows and heifers that have calved increased by 0.2%.

State-level estimates were reviewed, and changes were made to reallocate inventory estimates to the United States total, NASS said.

DTN ANALYSIS

"After a gut-wrenching day, trying to wait patiently to see what was going to be unveiled in Friday afternoon's Cattle inventory report, the industry should again be able to breathe easy, as the report unveiled no wild surprises and mostly aligned with what was expected of the data ahead of the report's release," said DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart.

"There was some conversation before the report was released that some believed there could be a small increase in the total number of beef cows heading into 2026. But Friday's report debunked that claim, as the total number of beef cows going into 2026 totaled 27.6 million head and is the seventh consecutive decrease in beef cow numbers that the industry has seen since 2019.

"The total number of milk cows heading into 2026 totaled 9,568,300 head, which is up 2% compared to a year ago. That logically passes the 'smell test,' as dairies have been keeping more cows around to cash in on the beef on dairy demand that's been extremely lucrative in recent years.

"The other slight increase compared to last year was seen in the beef cow replacement division, which totaled 4,714,200 million head, and was up 1% compared to last year. Simple math tells us that a 1% increase in the total number of beef replacement heifers compared to a year ago means an increase of 41,700 head of beef replacement heifers throughout the entire nation. And to answer the question that's lingering in the back of your mind: No, that does not indicate that any sort of meaningful expansion has begun.

"And last but certainly not least, the 2025 calf crop was estimated at 32.9 million head, which is down 2% from a year ago and implies that supplies will remain thin throughout the upcoming year.

"All in all, it's likely that the report is found to be bullish throughout the industry, as the total number of beef cows declined from the previous year and is the seventh consecutive decline in beef cow numbers since 2019. And although there was a slight increase in the total number of beef replacement heifers heading into 2026, a mere increase of 41,700 head does not indicate that herd expansion has begun, by any means."

For more analysis of the Jan. 1 Cattle inventory report, see DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart's latest Call the Market column, "Friday's Cattle Inventory Report: 4 Reasons it Won't Look Like Cycles From the Past," here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

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DTN subscribers can view the full USDA Cattle inventory report in the Livestock Archives folder under the Markets menu. The report is also available at https://www.nass.usda.gov/….

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