Livestock Slaughter – 2007 Summary
This U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report provides 2007 statistics for U.S. meat production and farmed animal slaughter (“red meat” animals only). The USDA estimates total red meat production (including beef, pork, lamb, etc.) was nearly 49 billion pounds in 2007, an all-time high.
Total red meat production for the United States totaled 48.8 billion pounds in 2007, 2 percent higher than the previous year. Red meat includes beef, veal, pork, and lamb and mutton. Red meat production in commercial plants totaled 48.7 billion pounds. On-farm production totaled 135 million pounds.
Beef production totaled 26.5 billion pounds, up 1 percent from the previous year. Veal production totaled 146 million pounds, down 6 percent from last year. Pork production, at 22.0 billion pounds, was 4 percent above the previous year. Lamb and mutton production totaled 188 million pounds, down 1 percent from 2006.
Commercial cattle slaughter during 2007 totaled 34.3 million head, up 2 percent from 2006, with federal inspection comprising 98.4 percent of the total. The average live weight was 1,269 pounds, down 2 pounds from a year ago. Steers comprised 51.3 percent of the total federally inspected cattle slaughter, heifers 30.3 percent, dairy cows 7.4 percent, other cows 9.4 percent, and bulls 1.6 percent.
Commercial calf slaughter totaled 758,100 head, 7 percent higher than a year ago with 98.2 percent under federal inspection. The average live weight was 303 pounds, down 39 pounds from a year earlier.
Commercial hog slaughter totaled 109.2 million head, 4 percent higher than 2006 with 99.1 percent of the hogs slaughtered under federal inspection. The average live weight was unchanged from last year, at 269 pounds. Barrows and gilts comprised 96.5 percent of the total federally inspected hog slaughter.
Commercial sheep and lamb slaughter, at 2.69 million head, was down slightly from the previous year with 93.9 percent comprised by federal inspection. The average live weight was unchanged from 2006 at 136 pounds. Lambs and yearlings comprised 95.4 percent of the total federally inspected sheep slaughter.
[Abstract excerpted from report]