Cow Slaughter and Cow Prices
The year-to-date decline in cow slaughter is being driven mainly by lower year-to-date beef cow slaughter.
June 18, 2026
by Daily Livestock Report
Total beef cow slaughter continues to track below year-ago levels. This is not unexpected given that the cattle inventory is at its lowest level since the early 1950s. Year-to-date through May, weekly cow slaughter has totaled nearly 1.9 million head, down about 96,000 head (-5%) from the same period last year and well below the five-year average of 2.5 million head.
Fig. 1: Weekly beef cow slaughter, federally inspected
Data source: USDA-AMS and USDA-NASS.
Livestock Marketing Information Center.
Except for the first two weeks of the year, each week of cow slaughter was below a year ago by more than 6,000 head (-7%) per week on average. Cow slaughter is comprised of both dairy cow slaughter and beef cow slaughter.
The year-to-date decline in cow slaughter is being driven mainly by lower year-to-date beef cow slaughter. Through May, weekly beef cow slaughter has totaled almost 800,000 head, down about 150,000 head (-16%) from the same period last year and well below the 1.3 million head from the five-year average. Year-to-date dairy cow slaughter through May has totaled 1.07 million head, which is an increase of about 55,000 head (+5%) from the same period last year, but it is below the five-year average of just more than 1.2 million head.
Fig. 2: Weekly dairy cow slaughter, federally inspected
Data source: USDA-AMS and USDA-NASS.
Livestock Marketing Information Center.
Although dairy cow slaughter is up year-to-date through May, it has only partially offset the decline in beef cow slaughter, leading to the decline in total cow slaughter.
The Southern Plains slaughter cow price remains above year-ago levels. Since the start of the year, weekly prices are following a seasonal pattern with prices rising through the first half of the year. The seasonal pattern for the second half of the year would be that prices moderate lower. Prices started the year at about $165 per hundredweight (cwt.) and gradually moved higher to a recent peak of $187 per cwt. in early May.
Since the peak in May, the slaughter cow price has moved slightly lower to $181 per cwt. the first week of June. Since the start of the year, the slaughter cow price had risen about $16 per cwt. (+10%) by the end of May. At this time last year, prices were approaching $160 per cwt. and peaked at $169 per cwt. in early October.
Fig. 3: Weekly slaughter cow prices, Southern Plains auction, 85%-90% lean
Data source: USDA-AMS and USDA-NASS.
Livestock Marketing Information Center.
Slaughter cow prices are likely to remain strong in the near term as demand for ground beef products remains high as USDA reported ground beef was at a record price of $7.06 per pound in April.
Editor’s note: Reprinted with permission from the June 10 Daily Livestock Report. Click here to subscribe. [Lead photo by Shauna Hermel.]
Angus Beef Bulletin EXTRA, Vol. 18, No. 6-B
Topics: Feedyard , Industry News , Marketing , News
Publication: Angus Beef Bulletin
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