USDA slaughter figures released

The USDA have published statistics showing that in 2005 federally inspected cattle slaughter totalled 31,823,877 head. This compares with 31,997,844 in 2004. The report said that steers accounted for 52.71% of the total in 2005 and 50.32% the year before. The percentage of heifers in the 2005 slaughter was 30.7% compared with 32.19% in 2004. Cows amounted to 15.04% of the total slaughter in 2005 of which 7.93% were beef cows and 7.15% dairy cows. Bulls and stags were 1.56% of total slaughter, slightly down on 2004.