Ranchers and feeders are sending fewer beef heifers to slaughter, “likely a result of producers retaining some extra heifers for breeding purposes,” said the USDA’s Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook report, citing “further signs of cow-herd rebuilding.” Beef herd numbers were at historical lows recently. Heifers accounted for 35 percent of cattle slaughtered in January, down 2 points from January 2014. “Thus far in 2015, commercial cow slaughter appears to be largely of dairy cows,” said the agency, while beef cow slaughter was down by 24 percent — “indicative of efforts to rebuild the beef cow herd.”
The semi-annual Cattle inventory report, released in January, said cattle numbers were up by 1 percent from the previous January, with the total of beef cows up 2 percent and beef replacement heifers up 4 percent.
Turkey production is forecast to run 6-percent higher this year than in 2014, says the Outlook report. “The 2015 increase is expected in response to lower feed costs, relatively strong prices for beef and broilers, and improving domestic economic conditions,” said the USDA. Production is expected to be sharply higher during the first half of the year, compared to 2014, and then slightly less in the second half for a total of 6.1 billion pounds in 2015.