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Livestock economist says he continues to monitor beef cow slaughter

A livestock economist says beef cow slaughter will be an area to watch in 2025.   Kenny Burdine, with the University of Kentucky says, “We are not culling this cow herd as hard as we have been the last few years.”

Burdine says he doesn’t expect beef cow slaughter to remain at this level for the rest of the year.   “Beef cow slaughter is running about 20% below 2024 levels,” he says.  “That to me is interesting because we know that beef cow slaughter was down quite a bit in 2024 as well.”

He tells Brownfield this could be a sign that herd expansion is on the horizon.  “But it’s not so much about heifer retention,” he says.  “It’s more about reduced beef cow slaughter, and we’re seeing that even more in 2025. The truth is, if we kept beef cow slaughter levels running 20% below a year ago, then we start having a conversation about this cow herd actually maybe being a little bit higher in 2026.”

He says next month’s Cattle on Feed report will show the percentage of heifers placed into feedlots and the recently reinstated July Cattle Inventory report will provide additional insight into any potential herd rebuilding efforts.