Beef cow slaughter has slowed, but a livestock economist says its still too early for indications that the herd is expanding.
University of Missouri’s Scott Brown says, “It’s a sign that we’ll have to continue to watch as we go forward. When you look at now, first quarter of this year, slaughter is down 12% relative to the first quarter of 2023.”
He tells Brownfield the beef cow slaughter data from March, combined with the heifers placed on feed in the latest Cattle on Feed report could indicate there’s a slight shift.
