Beef cow numbers are at levels not seen since 1970. According to CattleFax CEO Randy Blach, there’s still room for a further reduction in the size of the cow herd. “Beef cow slaughter is down about 700,000 head in 2023, but that is still a liquidation pace.” Heifer retention has not begun at a significant level yet, but it is coming. “You’ve got too much financial incentive now for producers with calf prices this much above the cost of production, we’ll start retaining. I think the rate of expansion will be interesting with interest rates where they are today.”
