Beef Cow Slaughter In 2025
DR. ANDREW P. GRIFFITH
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
When this article is released, most of the talk in the cattle industry will revolve around the January 1, 2026 Cattle Inventory report. This article is being written before the release of the cattle inventory report and before the last week of cow slaughter data is released for 2025. However, it is still beneficial to look at beef cow slaughter in 2025 as a whole and regionally. This information will contribute to the discussion surround cattle inventory.
Total beef cow slaughter in 2025, barring the last week of the year, totaled 2.31 million head, which is 17.4 percent (485,400 head) lower than the same 51-week period in 2024. This one piece of information could be used to say beef cattle producers have a desire to expand the breeding herd, which is most likely correct. However, one piece of information should always be supported. For instance, beef cow slaughter in 2024 was 2.80 million head while total beef cow slaughter in 2021 and 2023 both exceeded 3.5 million head while that value was nearly 4.0 million head in 2022. Thus, beef cattle producers have certainly slowed cow slaughter the past couple of years with further reductions expected in 2026.
Beef cow slaughter data suggests cattle producers are looking to produce and market as many calves and feeder cattle as possible given the current market conditions. What does not support this thought is the quantity of heifers on feed. Thus, it would appear beef cattle producers are retaining older breeding stock while marketing heifer calves instead of retaining them. One argument is producers are selling high priced heifer calves to take advantage of the strong market price for calves and feeder cattle. Another argument is aging producers are looking to slow production. Still another argument is land loss to cropping, housing and industrial use leaves no place to graze cattle. The reality is that all of these factors plus more that are not listed are likely contributing to decision making in the cattle industry.
Despite the usefulness of national cattle slaughter, it is often beneficial to consider the regional changes in beef cow slaughter. Region 1 and 2 are primarily the Northeast United States, and they are the only regions with increased beef cow slaughter in 2025 relative to 2024, but their production level is small and has little impact on the national slaughter data. Region 9 (AZ, CA, HI, NV) beef cow slaughter declined 31.7 percent (36,900 head) compared to 2024, which is the largest beef cow slaughter decline by region on a percentage basis. The region with the largest decline in slaughter on a head basis is region 6 (AR, LA, NM, OK, TX) with a 121,800 head (-16.0 percent) decline compared to the previous year. Region 4 (AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN) had the second largest decline on a head and percentage basis compared to 2024 with beef cow slaughter declining 23.9 percent or 110,900 head. Region 7 (IA, KS, MO, NE) beef cow slaughter in 2025 declined 93,800 head (-16.3 percent) compared to the previous year while region 5 (IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI) beef cow slaughter declined 16.5 percent (62,100 head) compared to last year. Region 3 (DE-MD, PA, WV, VA), 8 (CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY), and 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA) also experienced declines in beef cow slaughter of 17.1 percent (23,800 head), 12.5 percent (20,400 head), and 8.6 percent (15,900 head), respectively.
The beef cow slaughter information reported in this article makes it clear cow-calf producers across the country are holding on to mature breeding stock. This is most evident in the Southeast and Southern Plains. However, the Northern Plains and Midwest are doing their part to make sure there are calves in the production pipeline. A large percentage of the decline in beef cow slaughter in 2025 is simply due to large cow slaughter in the previous years. This means there is room for beef cattle herd expansion the next few years.
This information does provide valuable information. First, producers are trying to hold on to breeding females. Second, there is considerable room for heifer retention, and calf prices will remain strong until more calves are in the pipeline. Third, it is going to take some time to grow the cattle herd. Lastly, growing the cattle herd is not in the best interest of all market participants. ∆
DR. ANDREW P. GRIFFITH
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE