Wyoming Cattle Inventory Unchanged From last year;

U.S. Up slightly

The inventory of all cattle and calves on Wyoming ranches and farms on January 1, 2007 totaled 1.43 million head, according to Nancy Hussey with the Wyoming Field Office of USDA NASS.  This is unchanged from last year, but up 6 percent from 1.35 million head on January 1, 2005.

The number of beef cows that have calved was up nearly 1 percent from last year to 763,000 head, compared with 758,000 head a year earlier. Beef cow replacement heifers increased 3 percent from a year ago to a total of 180,000 on January 1. The number of milk cows was 7,000 head, unchanged from the previous year.  There were 45,000 bulls on hand January 1, 2007, unchanged from a year ago.

The total inventory of steers, other heifers not intended for breeding, and calves under 500 pounds was 430,000 head, down 2 percent from a year earlier.  Steers totaled 190,000 head, down 10,000 head from a year earlier; other heifers totaled 145,000 down 10,000; and calves totaled 95,000, up 10,000.

There were 90,000 head of cattle in Wyoming being fed on January 1 to go directly to slaughter, up 10,000 head from last year.

The 2006 calf crop in Wyoming totaled 750,000 head, up 1 percent or 10,000 head from 2005.

The number of operations in Wyoming with cattle during 2006 totaled 5,800, unchanged from 2005.  The number of Beef cow operations was also unchanged from 2005, at 4,800.  Wyoming had 250 operators with Milk cows in both 2005 and 2006.

United States:  All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 2007, totaled 97.0 million head, slightly above the 96.7 million on January 1, 2006.

All cows and heifers that have calved, at 42.0 million, were down slightly from the 42.1 million on January 1, 2006.  Beef cows, at 32.9 million, were down slightly from January 1, 2006. Milk cows, at 9.13 million, were up 1 percent from January 1, 2006.

Other class estimates on January 1, 2007 and the change from January 1, 2006, were as follows: all heifers 500 pounds and over, 20.1 million, up 1 percent; beef replacement heifers, 5.88 million, down slightly; milk replacement heifers, 4.31 million, up 1 percent; other heifers, 9.90 million, up 1 percent; steers weighing 500 pounds and over, 17.2 million, up 2 percent; bulls weighing 500 pounds and over, 2.22 million, down 2 percent; calves under 500 pounds, 15.5 million, down slightly.

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in all feedlots totaled 14.3 million, up 1 percent.

The 2006 calf crop was estimated at 37.6 million head, down slightly from 2005.

The number of operations with cattle totaled 971,400 during 2006, down 1 percent from 2005 and 2 percent below 2004.  Beef cow operations in 2006 were down 1 percent from 2005 and 2 percent below 2004.  Milk cow operations were 4 percent below last year and 8 percent below two years ago.