Friday July 24 USDA Cattle on Feed, Cattle Inventory, and Cold Storage Reports

July 1 Cattle Inventory Up Slightly

All cattle and calves in the United States on July 1, 2026 totaled 94.2 million head, slightly above the 94.0 million head on July 1, 2025.

All cows and heifers that have calved totaled 38.1 million head, unchanged from the 38.1 million head on July 1, 2025. Beef cows, at 28.5 million head, are down 1 percent from a year ago. Milk cows, at 9.65 million head, are up 2 percent from previous year.

All heifers 500 pounds and over on July 1, 2026 totaled 14.7 million head, 1 percent above the 14.6 million head on July 1, 2025. Beef replacement heifers, at 3.80 million head, are up 3 percent from a year ago. Milk replacement heifers, at 3.60 million head, are up 3 percent from previous year. Other heifers, at 7.30 million head, are 1 percent below a year
earlier.

Steers 500 pounds and over on July 1, 2026 totaled 13.9 million head, up 1 percent from July 1, 2025.

Bulls 500 pounds and over on July 1, 2026 totaled 1.90 million head, unchanged from previous year.

Calves under 500 pounds on July 1, 2026 totaled 25.6 million head, unchanged from a year earlier.

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 13.2 million head on July 1, 2026, up 2 percent from previous year. Cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 86.1 percent of the total cattle on feed on July 1, 2026, up 1 percent from previous year. The total of calves under 500 pounds and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds (outside of feedlots), at 33.6 million head, is down 1 percent from the 33.8 million head on July 1, 2025.

Calf Crop Down 2 Percent
The 2026 calf crop in the United States is expected to be 32.5 million head, down 2 percent from last year. Calves born during the first half of 2026 are estimated at 23.9 million head, down 2 percent from the first half of 2025. An additional 8.60 million calves are expected to be born during the second half of 2026.



United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 Percent

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.4 million head on July 1, 2026. The inventory was 2 percent above July 1, 2025. The inventory included 7.12 million steers and steer calves, up 3 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 63 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.25 million head, up slightly from 2025.

On Feed, by State      (1,000 hd  -  % July 1 '25)
Colorado .......:                930          103          
Iowa ..............:                680           99        
Kansas ..........:              2,300          101       
Nebraska ......:              2,540          104       
Texas ............:              2,560          100           

Placements in feedlots during June totaled 1.40 million head, 3 percent below 2025. Net placements were 1.35 million head. During June, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 325,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 225,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 300,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 309,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 160,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 80,000 head.

Placements by State    (1,000 hd  -  % June '25) 
Colorado .......:                110           100    
Iowa .............:                   59           104       
Kansas ..........:                 305            85      
Nebraska ......:                 355            99       
Texas ............:                 305           102      

Marketings of fed cattle during June totaled 1.66 million head, 3 percent below 2025. Marketings were the lowest for June since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 50,000 head during June, 6 percent below 2025.

Marketings by State    (1,000 hd  -  % June '25) 
Colorado ......:                115             92         
Iowa .............:                  57           124     
Kansas .........:                 415            97       
Nebraska ......:                 435           93       
Texas ............:                 345           99     



June 2026 USDA Cold Storge Report Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers on June 30, 2026 were down 1 percent from the previous month but up 3 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were down 3 percent from the previous month and down 3 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up 1 percent from the previous month and up 9 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were down 3 percent from last month but up 18 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on June 30, 2026 were up 4 percent from the previous month and up 2 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up 1 percent from the previous month and up slightly from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 10 percent from last month and up 5 percent from June 30, 2025.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on June 30, 2026 were up 1 percent from the previous month but down 1 percent from June 30, 2025. Butter stocks were down 1 percent from last month and down 7 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks on June 30, 2026 were up 2 percent from last month and up 6 percent from a year ago. Total frozen vegetable stocks were down slightly from last month and down 8 percent from a year ago.