TOPICS IN THIS REPORT     January 1 Cattle and Calf Inventory     --Florida     --United States     January 1 Sheep and Lamb Inventory     --United States

All cattle and calves on Florida farms and ranches as of January 1, 1997 totaled 1,970,000 head, down 1 percent from last year and 2 percent below January 1, 1995. Beef cows totaled 1,072,000 head, down 3 percent from last year and 5 percent below 1995.

Calves born during 1996 totaled 1,030,000 head, 1 percent below last year and 3 percent below 1994.

Other classes on January 1, 1997 and the change from one and two years earlier, respectively, are as follows:

    --    Milk cows, 158,000, up 2 percent and down 7 percent.

    --    All heifers 500 pounds and over, 220,000, up 2 and down 4 percent.

    --    Beef replacement heifers, 155,000, unchanged and down 6 percent.

    --    Milk replacement heifers, 40,000, no change both years.

    --    Other heifers, 25,000, up 25 percent and unchanged two years ago.

    --    Steer, 25,000, up 60 percent both years.

    --    Bulls 70,000, unchanged and down 7 percent.

    --    Calves under 500 pounds, 410,000, down 2 percent and up 5 percent.

Florida ranking based on inventory counts:

                                  1995  1996  1997

    --  Beef cows                  10    10    10

    --  Total cattle and calves    15    15    15

    --  Milk cows                  14    17    14

CATTLE AND CALVES: January 1 inventory number by class, calf crop, and value of inventory, Florida
Class	1994	1995	1996	1997	1997 as % of 1996
	1,000 head				Percent
Cows and heifers that have calved	1,270	1,300	1,260	1,230	98
Beef cows	1,093	1,130	1,105	1,072	97
Milk cows	177	170	155	158	102
Heifers 500 pounds and over:	227	230	215	220	102
Beef cow replacement	165	165	155	155	100
Milk cow replacement	35	40	40	40	100
Other heifers	27	25	20	25	125
Steers 500 pounds and over	20	25	25	40	160
Bulls 500 pounds and over	73	75	70	70	100
Calves under 500 pounds	390	390	420	410	98
Total cattle and calves	1,980	2,020	1,990	1,970	99
Calf Crop - entire year	1,060	1,040	1,030	--	--
	1,000 dollars
Inventory value, all cattle and calves	1,257,300	1,191,800	905,450	2/	--
1/ For the current year, the calf crop is the number of calves born before July 1 plus the number expected to be born on and after July 1. 2/ Available February 28, 1997.

CATTLE AND CALVES: January 1, 1996-97 inventory number by selected classes, 1995-96 calf crop, by States
State	All cattle and calves			Beef cows that have calved			Beef cow replacements		Calf crop
	1996	1997	1997 as % of 96	1996	1997	1997 as % of 96	1996	1997	1995	1996
	1,000 head		Percent	1,000 head		Percent	1,000 head		1,000 head
AL	1,750	1,600	91	898	829	92	155	138	820	790
AK	10.2	10.7	105	3.1	3.3	106	1.0	1.0	3.2	3.3
AZ	840	790	94	227	200	88	43	35	290	275
AR	1,910	1,900	99	952	954	100	195	190	860	870
CA	4,600	4,550	99	840	820	98	160	155	1,780	1,750
CO	3,100	3,150	102	838	826	99	160	155	860	870
CT	70	71	101	6	7	117	2	2	33	33
DE	31	27	87	3	3	100	1	1	9	8.5
FL	1,990	1,970	99	1,105	1,072	97	155	155	1,040	1,030
GA	1,550	1,490	96	710	692	97	115	118	700	680
HI	171	166	97	80	81	101	14	16	67	65
ID	1,770	1,750	99	505	492	97	95	95	700	720
IL	1,770	1,680	95	460	460	100	65	65	560	550
IN	1,130	1,150	102	310	320	103	47	48	410	410
IA	3,950	3,900	99	1,050	1,030	98	150	160	1,190	1,200
KS	6,500	6,550	101	1,507	1,489	99	230	210	1,460	1,440
KY	2,700	2,550	94	1,200	1,160	97	205	190	1,250	1,230
LA	1,020	1,000	98	551	547	99	97	93	480	475
ME	117	116	99	18	17	94	8	5	49	51
MD	290	270	93	64	53	83	15	15	125	113
MA	67	62	93	9	8	89	3	2	30	30
MI	1,170	1,130	97	122	125	102	30	33	420	400
MN	2,900	2,750	95	440	405	92	95	90	1,010	980
MS	1,390	1,340	96	708	682	96	149	130	650	640
MO	4,550	4,450	98	2,115	2,075	98	345	320	2,100	2,100
MT	2,750	2,700	98	1,570	1,570	100	330	350	1,540	1,540
NE	6,350	6,550	103	1,930	1,932	100	280	280	1,800	1,820
NV	500	520	104	237	244	103	47	47	220	220
NH	45	41	91	4	4	100	2	2	20	18
NJ	68	68	100	15	14	93	3	3	29	28
NM	1,520	1,490	98	560	533	95	110	110	590	570
NY	1,510	1,540	102	70	75	107	30	30	670	670
NC	1,200	1,190	99	494	512	104	125	113	510	520
ND	1,920	1,900	99	936	940	100	155	160	960	960
OH	1,540	1,460	95	345	315	91	70	65	570	540
OK	5,500	5,400	98	1,983	1,965	99	390	360	1,920	1,950
OR	1,460	1,450	99	610	607	100	125	125	640	630
PA	1,790	1,750	98	172	157	91	44	44	730	710
RI	8.0	7.0	88	1.5	1.5	100	0.7	0.5	3.5	3.5
SC	520	520	100	249	249	100	46	47	220	220
SD	3,850	3,800	99	1,695	1,660	98	250	260	1,770	1,740
TN	2,650	2,400	91	1,160	1,085	94	260	210	1,180	1,120
TX	15,000	14,100	94	5,900	5,460	93	860	880	5,550	5,250
UT	910	930	102	350	355	101	68	70	385	395
VT	300	300	100	14	12	86	5	5	162	158
VA	1,800	1,830	102	732	740	101	125	130	790	790
WA	1,270	1,200	94	306	294	96	73	64	520	510
WV	470	450	96	229	211	92	40	38	215	210
WI	3,800	3,700	97	200	200	100	55	60	1,580	1,530
WY	1,410	1,490	106	744	794	107	150	175	740	770
US	103,487.2	101,208.7	98	35.227.6	34,279.8	97	6,178.7	6,050.5	40,210.7	39,586.3

CATTLE AND CALVES: January 1 inventory number by selected classes, by States
State	Milk cows that have calved			Milk cow replacements		All calves under 500 lbs		Cattle on feed 1/
	1996	1997	1997 as % of 96	1996	1997	1996	1997	1996	1997
	1,000 head		Percent	1,000 head
AL	32	31	97	18	11	445	410	5	5
AK	0.8	0.9	113	0.3	0.3	1.6	1.8
AZ	118	120	102	22	20	149	125	222	233
AR	58	56	97	23	20	460	470	18	19
CA	1,260	1,270	101	600	590	950	930	350	375
CO	82	84	102	45	45	250	250	1,070	1,130
CT	31	30	97	14	13	14	16
DE	10	10	100	3.0	2.4	4.7	5.0
FL	155	158	102	40	40	420	410
GA	100	98	98	40	37	435	410	10	5
HI	10	10	100	4	5	42	35
ID	245	268	109	105	115	220	205	270	270
IL	160	150	94	75	70	325	320	290	265
IN	140	140	100	65	67	285	285	200	220
IA	250	250	100	100	100	690	690	900	1,000
KS	83	81	98	40	45	850	840	2,210	2,220
KY	160	150	94	60	55	650	600	25	20
LA	79	78	99	17	19	198	187	3	3
ME	39	39	100	21	22	24	24
MD	91	85	93	37	34	48	46	17	11
MA	27	26	96	9	9	13	13
MI	328	310	95	155	145	250	240	200	200
MN	600	595	99	330	330	590	560	335	300
MS	52	48	92	20	19	323	310	4	4
MO	185	175	95	80	75	990	950	100	95
MT	20	20	100	7	7	135	150	105	85
NE	70	68	97	25	25	600	570	2,030	2,220
NV	23	26	113	9	10	87	88	22	25
NH	19	17	89	8	7	9	8
NJ	23	21	91	8	8	11	12	4	6
NM	190	197	104	45	45	250	245	136	137
NY	700	700	100	320	330	290	300	30	30
NC	86	78	91	32	34	315	320	10	10
ND	64	60	94	20	20	180	160	75	100
OH	285	285	100	130	130	335	310	235	200
OK	97	95	98	45	40	1,120	1,140	415	400
OR	95	93	98	40	45	225	230	80	80
PA	648	643	99	290	285	365	350	75	75
RI	2.2	2.0	91	1.0	0.9	1.6	1.2
SC	26	26	100	10	10	125	125	8	6
SD	115	110	96	35	30	470	460	330	320
TN	120	115	96	55	55	700	640	20	20
TX	400	390	98	110	100	2,770	2,420	2,630	2,630
UT	85	90	106	43	45	137	135	60	50
VT	158	156	99	57	56	58	60
VA	128	125	98	70	60	430	435	35	30
WA	264	266	101	102	96	182	171	166	163
WV	21	19	90	8	8	75	80	9	8
WI	1,475	1,410	96	710	700	870	840	150	150
WY	6	6	100	1	1	120	105	95	80
Other States 2/								19	16
US	9,416.0	9,280.9	99	4,104.3	4,036.6	18,487.9	17,688.0	12,968	13,216
1/ Cattle and calves on feed are animals for slaughter market being fed a ration of grain or other concentrates and are expected to produce a carcass that will grade select or better. 2/ Included in other States.

All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 1997, totaled 101.2 million head, 2 percent below the 103.5 million on January 1, 1996 and 2 percent below the 102.8 million two years ago.

All cows and heifers that have calved, at 43.6 million, were 2 percent below the 44.6 million on January 1, 1996 and 2 percent below the 44.6 million two years ago.

    --    Beef cows, at 34.3 million, were down 3 percent from January 1, 1996 and 2 percent below two years ago.

    --    Milk cows, at 9.28 million, were down 1 percent from January 1, 1996 and 2 percent below two years ago.

Other class estimates on January 1, 1997, and the changes from January 1 last year and two years ago, respectively, are as follows:

    --    All heifers 500 pounds and over, 20.3 million, slightly above and up 2 percent.

    --    Beef replacement heifers, 6.05 million, down 2 percent and down 7 percent.

    --    Milk replacement heifers, 4.04 million, down 2 percent and down 3 percent.

    --    Other heifers, 10.2 million, up 3 percent and up 10 percent.

    --    Steers weighing 500 pounds and over, 17.3 million, down 2 percent and down 1 percent.

    --    Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over, 2.34 million, down 2 percent from both years.
    
    --    Calves under 500 pounds, 17.7 million, down 4 percent from both years.

    --    All cattle and calves on feed for slaughter, 13.2 million, up 2 percent and up 6 percent.

The 1996 calf crop was estimated at 39.6 million, down 2 percent from 1995 and down 1 percent from 1994. Calves born during the first half of the year are estimated at 29.2 million, down 1 percent from 1995 and slightly below 1994.

All sheep and lamb inventory in the United States on January 1, 1997, totaled 7.94 million head, down 6 percent from 1996 and 11 percent below two years ago. Inventory has slowly declined since 1942 when all sheep and lambs reached it's peak of 56.21 million head.

RELIABILITY AND ESTIMATING PROCEDURES Primary data used in making cattle estimates in this report were obtained from a sample of farmers and ranchers across the U.S. using probability surveys. Information was collected by mail, telephone, and personal interview. In Florida, over 1,200 operators of cattle and dairy farms provided the basic data for the State estimates. Their cooperation is greatly appreciated. Since all operations with cattle were not included in the sample, survey estimates are subjected to sampling variability. The variability, as measured by the relative standard error, is slightly more than one percent of the total cattle and calves at the National level.