Kentucky Cattle and Calf Inventory Down 100,000 from Last Year

Wednesday, February 1, 2023

The Kentucky cattle and calf inventory for January 1, 2023 was estimated at 1.93 million head according to the Kentucky Field Office of the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Total inventory was down 100,000 head from last year.

Cows and heifers that have calved were estimated at 940,000 head, down 70,000 head from 2022. Beef cow inventory was 895,000 head and milk cows were estimated at 45,000 head.

Heifers 500 lbs. and over were at 280,000 head, up 10,000 from last year. Beef replacement heifers totaled 115,000 head, down 10,000 from January 2022. Dairy heifers, at 35,000 head, were unchanged from 2022. Other heifers, at 130,000 head, were up 20,000 from the previous year.

Steers 500 lbs. and over numbered 225,000 head, up 5,000 from 2022. Bulls 500 lbs. and over were down 5,000 head from a year ago and numbered 55,000 head. Calves less than 500 lbs. were estimated at 430,000 head, down 40,000 from the 2022 estimate. Cattle on feed were estimated at 18,000 head, unchanged from the previous year.

The 2022 calf crop was estimated at 920,000 head, down 60,000 from the previous year's estimate.

All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 2023 totaled 89.3 million head, 3 % below the 92.1 million head on January 1, 2022. All cows and heifers that have calved, at 38.3 million head, were 3 below the 39.4 million head on January 1, 2022. Beef cows, at 28.9 million head, were down 4 % from a year ago. Milk cows, at 9.40 million head, were up slightly from the previous year.

All heifers 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2023 totaled 19.2 million head, 4% below the 19.9 million head on January 1, 2022. Beef replacement heifers, at 5.16 million head, were down 6% from a year ago. Milk replacement heifers, at 4.34 million head, were down 2% from the previous year. Other heifers, at 9.67 million head, were down 3% from a year earlier. Steers weighing 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2023 totaled 16.1 million head, down 3% from January 1, 2022. Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over as of January 1, 2023 totaled 2.03 million head, down 4% from January 1, 2022. Calves under 500 pounds as of January 1, 2023 totaled 13.6 million head, down 3% from January 1, 2022.

The 2022 calf crop in the United States was estimated at 34.5 million head, down 2% from the previous year's calf crop.