January 1999 Cattle Inventory Changes

Livestock Update, February 1999

Bill McKinnon, Extension Animal Scientist, Animal and Poultry Sciences, Virginia Tech

The U.S. cattle industry continued in the liquidation phase during 1998. The nation's total herd inventory dropped 1% during the year down to 98.5 million head according to the Jan. 1, 1999 Cattle Inventory Report. The country's cowherd also continued its downward trend with all cows and beef cows both down 1% from last year. Cow/calf operators still fail to show much interest in retaining heifers in their herds as demonstrated by the number of beef replacement heifers being down 4% from a year ago.

The inventory report points to reduced supplies of feeder cattle for 1999 and beyond. The 1998 calf crop was the smallest since the 1952 crop. The January 1 Cattle on Feed Report seemed to signal smaller supplies of feeders entering the pipeline. The Jan. '99 on feed report showed a 3% smaller number of cattle on feed in all U.S. feedlots from one year ago though up slightly from Jan. 1, 1997.

The latest inventory report pegged Virginia's total cattle inventory at 1.7 million head which ranks 19th in the nation. Virginia maintains the country's 18th largest beef cow herd at 688,000 cows. Virginians also seemed more interested in expanding beef cowherds than their neighbors with 2% more replacement heifers than a year ago.

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