USDA Releases Updated Mid-Year Cattle Inventory Report

By Andi Anderson

The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has released the 2025 mid-year Cattle Inventory and Cattle on Feed reports, offering fresh insights into herd trends and feedlot activity.

This year’s mid-year inventory report is especially valuable as no July report was published in 2024 due to budget limitations.

As of July 1, 2025, total U.S. cattle inventory is estimated at 94.2 million head, marking a 1.3% decrease (or 1.2 million head) from July 2023. The number of cows and heifers that have calved is 38.1 million, down 0.8% from 38.4 million in July 2023.

Beef cow inventory stands at 28.7 million head, a 1.2% decline compared to two years ago, after USDA revised previous estimates downward.

The 2025 calf crop is estimated at 33.1 million head, which is 1.3% smaller than the previous year. This includes 24.3 million calves born in the first half of the year and 8.8 million expected in the second half.

Analysts were watching the report closely for signs of herd expansion. However, the number of beef replacement heifers is estimated at 3.7 million, a 2.6% decline from 2023, suggesting continued caution in rebuilding efforts.

The July 2025 Cattle on Feed report adds more detail. Heifers on feed are estimated at 4.24 million head, making up 38.1% of feedlot inventories. This is a slight drop from 39.6% in July 2024, indicating fewer heifers entering feedlots.

Although the numbers show small shifts, experts caution against overinterpreting the data, noting that in 2015, heifers made up just 32.5% of feedlot populations. Still, these updated figures offer valuable perspective on current cattle industry trends.

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