Released January 30, 2009, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

• January 1 Cattle Inventory Down 2 Percent...
• All cattle and calves in the United States as of January 1, 2009, totaled 94.5 million head, 2 percent below the 96.0 million on January 1, 2008.

• All cows and heifers that have calved, at 41.0 million, were down 2 percent from the 41.7 million on January 1, 2008...
• Beef cows, at 31.7 million, were down 2 percent from January 1, 2008.
• Milk cows, at 9.33 million, were up 1 percent from January 1, 2008.

• Other class estimates on January 1, 2009, and the change from January 1, 2008, are as follows:
• All heifers 500 pounds and over, 19.6 million, down 1 percent.
• Beef replacement heifers, 5.53 million, down 2 percent.
• Milk replacement heifers, 4.41 million, down slightly.
• Other heifers, 9.65 million, down 1 percent.
• Steers weighing 500 pounds and over, 16.8 million, down 2 percent.
• Bulls weighing 500 pounds and over, 2.18 million, down 1 percent.
• Calves under 500 pounds, 14.9 million, down 1 percent.
• Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in all feedlots, 13.9 million, down 7 percent.
• The combined total of calves under 500 pounds, and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds outside of feedlots was 27.5 million, up 1 percent.

• Calf Crop Down 2 Percent...
• The 2008 calf crop was estimated at 36.1 million head, down 2 percent from 2007.  Calves born during the first half of the year are estimated at 26.3 million, down 1 percent from 2007.