The Canadian cattle inventory was slightly larger on July 1, 2025, compared to a year earlier, as producers retained more breeding stock and slaughter slowed.
A Statistics Canada livestock inventory report released late last week showed that Canadian farmers held 11.9 million cattle and calves as of July 1, up 0.8% from a year earlier. Inventories climbed across all breeding categories, “lending support to the beef and dairy herds,” StatsCan said.
Beef heifers for breeding increased 2%, bulls 0.5%, and beef cows 0.4%. The dairy sector saw similar gains, with heifers and cows each up 0.5% and 0.4%, respectively.
Along with higher breeding stock retention, the overall herd expansion was supported by a 1.8% rise in the number of calves born during the first half of the year. Producers held 3.8 million calves as of July 1, up 3% year over year. Meanwhile, steer numbers declined 1.8% and feeder heifers fell 1.5%.
Cattle and calf slaughter in Canada from January to June dropped 5% to 1.6 million head, while exports of live cattle slipped 2.7% to 390,400 head.
Feeder and slaughter cattle prices surged to record highs during the first half of 2025, bolstered by firm global beef demand, StatsCan said.
Meanwhile, the US cattle herd continues to shrink. The USDA reported 94.2 million cattle and calves as of July 1, the lowest mid-year figure since records began in 1973. The tally included 38.1 million cows and heifers that have calved, with 28.7 million beef cows and 9.45 million dairy cows. The 2025 calf crop was estimated at 33.1 million head, while 13 million cattle were on feed for beef production.
