The U.S. cattle inventory dropped to 86.2 million head as of January 1, 2026, the smallest national herd since 1951, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.Texas leads the country with 12.1 million head, unchanged from a year earlier. Beef cow numbers nationally fell about 1 percent to 27.6 million, a figure not seen since 1961.The tight supply has pushed bee...
To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.