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 52.7% of the total in 2005 and 50.3% the year before.
The percentage of heifers in the 2005 slaughter was 30.7% compared with 32.2% in 2004. Cows amounted to 15% of the total slaughter in 2005 of which 7.9% were beef cows and 7.2% dairy cows.
Bulls and stags were 1.6% of total slaughter, slightly down on 2004.
