STILLWATER, Okla. — Last month’s cattle numbers were larger than expected, according to farm market analysts commenting on the Jan. 1 USDA Cattle Inventory report, with the agency adding 796,000 head to its initial 87.73 million total – mainly from beef cow expansion.

“The U.S. beef cow herd grew by 2.1 percent in 2014 to 29.7 million head, according to the January 2015 cattle report,” said Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University extension agricultural economist. “Though beef cow herd expansion was anticipated, this was a larger than expected increase.

“The largest increases were in Texas, at 107 percent of last year; and Oklahoma, up 6 percent from one year ago. These two states accounted for 62 percent of the total increase in the beef cow herd.” Peel said Kansas and Missouri each accounted for about 10 percent of the cow herd increase, “meaning that those four states accounted for 82 percent of the total increase in beef cows.”

Released Jan. 30, the report stated as of Jan. 1, there were 89.8 million head of cattle and calves on U.S. farms, which was the first increase in herd inventory since 2007. Peel noted this number was “up 1.4 percent from one year ago, but, except for last year, still the smallest total herd inventory since 1952.”

The report said all cows and heifers that have calved, at 39 million, were up 2 percent from the 38.3 million on Jan. 1, 2014, with milk cows, at 9.3 million, up 1 percent from last January.

The report added that all heifers 500 pounds and over, 19.2 million, were up 1 percent; beef replacement heifers, 5.8 million, were up 4 percent; and milk replacement heifers, 4.6 million, were up 1 percent, with other heifers, 8.8 million, down slightly. Moreover, steers weighing 500 pounds and over, 15.8 million, were up 1 percent; bulls weighing 500 pounds and over, 2.1 million, were up 3 percent; calves under 500 pounds, 13.7 million, were up 1 percent; and cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in all feedlots, 13.1 million, were up 1 percent.

“The estimated supply of feeder cattle outside feedlots was up 0.5 percent as a result of 1-percent increases in the inventory of steers, 500 pounds and over and calves, under 500 pounds, along with a slight decrease in the inventory of other heifers,” Peel said.

The report also stated combined total of calves under 500 pounds, and other heifers and steers over 500 pounds outside of feedlots, were 25.2 million, up 1 percent. In addition, the 2014 calf crop, estimated at 33.9 million head, was up 1 percent from 2013. Peel said the 2014 calf crop percentage (calves as a percent of all cows) was 88.5 percent, “the highest percentage since 2006.”

In their Jan. 30 analysis on the report, University of Missouri extension agricultural economists Ron Plain and Scott Brown said fed cattle prices were lower that week on light sales volume.

“Through (Jan. 29), the five-area average price for slaughter steers sold on a live weight basis was $159.43 per cwt., down 8 cents from (previous) week’s average, but up $13.63 from a year ago,” they said. “The five-area average dressed price for steers was $250.07 per cwt., down $5.96 for the week.”

Overall, Peel said “the jump-start to herd expansion could shave a year off of the time needed for herd rebuilding, depending on herd expansion in 2015 and beyond. In any event, herd expansion is expected to continue until late in the decade, barring setbacks from drought.”

In Illinois, all cattle and calves as of Jan. 1 totaled 1.14 million head, 1 percent above Jan. 1, 2014. In Indiana, all cattle and calves in Indiana were 870,000 head, an increase of 1 percent from last year.

In Iowa, all cattle and calves totaled 3.9 million. The Kentucky cattle and calf inventory was estimated at 2.06 million, down 50,000 head from last year. In Michigan, all cattle and calves were at 1.14 million, up 1 percent from last year.

In Missouri, all cattle and calves totaled 4 million head, 4 percent above last January. In Ohio, all cattle and calves were 1.25 million, unchanged from last year. The Tennessee cattle and calf inventory was estimated at 1.73 million, down 30,000 head from last year.