CATTLE

The January 1, 2024, inventory of all cattle and calves in Colorado totaled 2.61 million head, down 2 percent, or 40,000 head from the January 1, 2023, inventory, according to the January 1 Cattle Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

Beef cow inventory totaled 643,000 head, down 5,000 head, or less than 1 percent, from the previous year. Milk cow inventory totaled 197,000 head, down 5,000 head, or 2 percent, from the previous year. Colorado’s 2023 calf crop, at 780,000 head, was unchanged from 2022.

Other class estimates as of January 1, 2024, and percent changes from 2023 were as follows:  Beef replacement heifers 500 pounds and over, down 4 percent, at 130,000 head; milk replacement heifers 500 pounds and over, up 4 percent, at 125,000 head; other heifers 500 pounds and over, unchanged, at 590,000 head; steers 500 pounds and over, down 4 percent, at 760,000 head; bulls 500 pounds and over, unchanged, at 45,000 head; and calves under 500 pounds, unchanged, at 120,000 head.

There was 1.05 million head of cattle and calves on feed, down 2 percent from last year.

SHEEP, LAMB, AND GOAT

The January 1, 2024, inventory of all sheep and lambs in Colorado totaled 400,000 head, down 4 percent from January 1, 2023, according to the January 1 Sheep and Goat Survey conducted by the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.

The number of breeding sheep and lambs, at 190,000 head, was unchanged from last year, while the market sheep and lambs inventory, at 210,000 head, was down 7 percent from last year. Of the total breeding sheep, the number of ewes one year old and older decreased 1 percent to 151,000 head, rams one year old and older remained unchanged, at 5,000 head, and replacement lambs increased 6 percent to 34,000 head.

Of the total market sheep and lambs, 2,000 head were market sheep and 208,000 head were market lambs. There were 2,000 lambs weighing less than 65 pounds this year, down 1,000 head from last year; 12,000 head were in the 65-84 pound weight group, down 1,000 head from last year; 46,000 head weighed 85-105 pounds, down 4,000 head from last year; and 148,000 head weighed over 105 pounds, down 9,000 head from last year. The 2023 lamb crop totaled 175,000 head, unchanged from 2022.

Wool production in Colorado during 2023 totaled 2.28 million pounds, up 27 percent from the previous year. The number of all sheep and lambs shorn, at 350,000 head, was up 19 percent from the 295,000 head shorn a year earlier. The value of wool production for 2023 totaled $5.24 million, an increase of 17 percent from a year earlier, as producers received $2.30 per pound of wool sold, compared with $2.50 the previous year.

Meat and other goats accounted for 24,000 head on January 1, 2024, compared with 23,000 head last year, while milk goats totaled 9,500 head, compared with 8,500 head a year ago.