# Continued Contraction Supports Record Prices - farmdoc daily

> The USDA January 1 Cattle Inventory report showed 86.7 million head, down 0.6% year on year, with the lowest total since 1951 and fewer beef cows than any time since 1961. Calf crop was just below last year and cattle on feed were about 1% lower.

- Date: 2025-02-03 · published 2025-02-03T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/25982-continued-contraction-supports-record-prices-farmdoc-daily
- Commodities: [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md), [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Tight herd numbers and a shrinking calf crop support record cattle prices, particularly for feeder calves.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FCATTLE | 2022-08-23 | [Beef herd contraction supports cattle prices \| Capital Press](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39971-beef-herd-contraction-supports-cattle-prices-capital-press.md) | -0.8% | -1.4% |
| FCATTLE | 2024-06-13 | [Cattle prices holding; production contracting](https://feedsoft.ai/events/29679-cattle-prices-holding-production-contracting.md) | +0.9% | +0.4% |
| FCATTLE | 2026-03-04 | [CattleFax forecasts continued strong demand, high prices - Texas Farm Bureau](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20117-cattlefax-forecasts-continued-strong-demand-high-prices-texas-farm-bureau.md) | -1.1% | +3.3% |
| FCATTLE | 2023-02-02 | [2023 Could Bring Record Cattle Prices, CattleFax Experts Say](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10217-2023-could-bring-record-cattle-prices-cattlefax-experts-say.md) | +1.7% | +2.9% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-07-25 | [USDA reports show continued shrinking of U.S. cattle herd as soaring prices continue - Agweek \| #1 source for agriculture news, farming, markets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/23892-usda-reports-show-continued-shrinking-of-u-s-cattle-herd-as-soaring-prices.md) | +0.8% | +8.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2022-08-23 | [Beef herd contraction supports cattle prices \| Capital Press](https://feedsoft.ai/events/39971-beef-herd-contraction-supports-cattle-prices-capital-press.md) | -0.6% | +0.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-06-13 | [Cattle prices holding; production contracting](https://feedsoft.ai/events/29679-cattle-prices-holding-production-contracting.md) | +1.9% | +1.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2026-03-04 | [CattleFax forecasts continued strong demand, high prices - Texas Farm Bureau](https://feedsoft.ai/events/20117-cattlefax-forecasts-continued-strong-demand-high-prices-texas-farm-bureau.md) | -0.9% | +0.4% |

## Sources

- farmdocdaily.illinois.edu: https://farmdocdaily.illinois.edu/2025/02/continued-contraction-supports-record-prices.html

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.