NAHMS Small Livestock 

Farm Characteristics 

United States 

Department of 

Agriculture 

Animal and 

Plant Health 

Inspection 

Service 

October 2009 
ii

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#571.1009
iii

Introduction

This report is the first in a series resulting from the Small Producer Initiative implemented by the National 

Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) at the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal 

and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The primary objective of the Small Producer Initiative is to 

investigate those factors which allow small producers to thrive. This report is meant solely to provide 

background information on small farms collected by three USDA agencies: the National Agricultural 

Statistics Service, the Economic Research Service and APHIS. The NAHMS Goat 2009 study will provide 

additional information on small operations when published in winter 2009–10. 
 
 1

NAHMS Small Livestock Farm Characteristics 

Characteristics of Small Farms (2007)1

• The USDA defines a small farm as a farm organized as a sole proprietorship, 

partnership, or family corporation with annual gross sales less than $250,000. 

o Ninety-one percent of all U.S. farms are small; 

o Small farms supply 15 percent of all U.S. crop and animal production; 

o Small farms account for more than one-half of U.S. farmland; and 

o Over 80 percent of individual States’ farms are small, with the exceptions of the 

grain, livestock, and poultry producing States of Delaware, Nebraska, North Dakota, 

South Dakota, and Iowa. 

Understanding U.S. Farm Exits (1997)2

• U.S. farms leave farming at a rate of 9 to 10 percent per year, which is similar to exit 

rates for nonfarm small businesses. 

o Farms with operators at least 65 years old or less than 45 years old are more likely 

to leave farming. 

o Small farms exit proportionally more than large farms. 

o New farms exit more often than older, more established farms. 

Farm Numbers (2007)3

• The total number of U.S. farms increased 4 percent from 2002 to 2007, indicating that 

the decline in farm numbers seen since World War II has stopped.

o Increases in U.S. farm numbers occur among small farms selling a mix of 

commodities in 2007.

o New farms tend to be smaller and have younger operators who also work off the 

farm.

 

1 USDA:NASS, 2007 Census of Agriculture: Small Farms. Web site: 

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/small_farm.pdf Accessed 

10/01/2009. 

2

 USDA:ERS. June 2006. Understanding U.S. Farm Exits. Economic Information Bulletin No. 21. 3

 USDA:NASS, 2007 Census of Agriculture: Farm Numbers. Web site: 

http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/Online_Highlights/Fact_Sheets/farm_numbers.pdf Accessed 

10/01/2009.
2

Beef Cow-Calf 

Small beef operations are defined in this report as those with fewer than 100 beef cows in 

inventory on October 1, 2007. If an operation had no beef cows on October 1, 2007, then 

the July 1, 2007, inventory was used. This size of operation represents almost one-half of 

the U.S. beef cow-calf inventory but 9 out of 10 beef cow-calf operations. 

• Approximately three-fourths of small beef operations describe themselves as 

commercial cattle herds that primarily produce market cattle for eventual consumption. 

Less than 10 percent of small beef operations characterize themselves as seedstock 

herds that primarily produce cattle for breeding purposes. The remaining 15 percent 

represent themselves as a combination of both. 

• For small beef operations with 1 to 49 beef cows and for those operations with 50 to 

99 beef cows, 78.0 and 68.3 percent of operations, respectively, view income from the 

enterprise as supplemental. Only 5.3 and 24.1 percent, respectively, view the enterprise 

as a primary source of income. 

• Operators of small beef operations with 1 to 49 beef cows devote on average 

28.9 percent of their work time to the cow-calf enterprise, while operators with 50 to 

99 beef cows devote on average 47.3 percent of their work time to the cow-calf 

enterprise. 

• More than 8 of 10 heifers and 7 of 10 cows are raised on the small beef operations 

where they calved. 

• Approximately three-fourths of cattle and calves on small beef operations are sent 

through sales or auction markets. 

• Over one-half of cattle shipments from small beef operations travel distances of 10 to 

49 miles to their destinations. One-sixth of shipments (16.5 percent) travel 50 to 

99 miles, and one-third of shipments (32.1 percent) travel 50 or more miles. 

• For beef operations with 1 to 49 beef cows, 90.5 percent of cows and 80.1 percent of 

heifers calved. Operations with 50 to 99 beef cows report that 91.6 percent of cows and 

81.4 percent of heifers calved. 

• Average weaning weights are 499 pounds for small beef operations with 1 to 49 beef 

cows and 536 pounds for small beef operations with 50 to 99 beef cows. 

• More than one-half of small beef operations report that veterinarians are very important 

sources of general, breeding, and genetics information. Feed salespersons or retailers 

are very important sources of animal nutrition information for one-third of small beef 

operations. 

SOURCE: NAHMS Beef 2007–08 Study, Web site: 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs/nahms/beefcowcalf/index.htm 
3

Beef Cow-Calf 

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

50-99

1-49

Breedinfluenced

program

Age-and-source

verification

program

Conventional Certified organic*

Marketing Channel Used by Small Beef Operations

Percent

Herd Size (Number of Beef Cows)

Nearly 70 percent of small beef operations targeted conventional marketing 

channels to sell their calves 

*Operations certified by USDA.

11.7

15.9

5.2

11.7

60.5

68.7

1.2 0.2

28.8

25.3

Natural
4

Dairy

Small dairy operations are classified in this report as those with fewer than 100 dairy cows in 

inventory January 1, 2007. These operations represent just over one-fourth of the U.S. dairy 

cow inventory but over three-fourths of dairy operations. 

• Holsteins are the primary dairy breed on more than 9 of 10 small dairy operations. A low 

percentage of operations report that Jersey (3.1 percent), Brown Swiss (1.1 percent), 

Guernsey (1.1 percent), or Ayrshire (0.3 percent) is the primary breed on the operation. 

• Almost two-thirds of small dairy operations (63.0 percent) house cows primarily in stall or 

stanchion facilities. Cows in these facilities usually have their own stalls to which they 

are tethered, where they are fed and watered. Alternatively, a freestall barn has rows of 

resting areas for the cows and allows the cows to move freely around the barn. Only one 

in five small operations (19.0 percent) use freestall barns. 

• More than 9 of 10 small dairy operations (92.6 percent) raise calves that will enter the 

milking herd after calving, around 2 years of age. About 3 percent of small operations 

raise heifers off-site. More than 90 percent of cow replacements (92.1 percent) are born 

and raised on the operation. Less than 7 percent of cow replacements are born off the 

operation and approximately 2 percent are born on the operation but raised off the 

operation. 

• Of cows permanently removed from small dairy operations, three-fourths are sent 

directly to a market, auction, or stockyard; 14.3 percent are sent directly to a packer or 

slaughter plant; and 9.1 percent go directly to another dairy. 

• Almost 9 of 10 cows and heifers on small dairy operations deliver a calf that is still alive 

at 48 hours of age. 

• Small dairy operations report an average milk production per cow of 18,391 pounds 

annually. 

• Almost all producers on small dairy operations would contact a private veterinarian if an 

animal on their operation is suspected of having a foreign animal disease. At least onefifth indicate that they would also contact the State Veterinarian’s office, a feed company 

or milk cooperative representative, an extension agent or the university, and/or USDA. 

SOURCE: NAHMS Dairy 2007 Study, Web site: 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs/nahms/dairy/
5

Dairy 

0

20

40

60

80

Conventional Grazing Combination Organic

Operation Type

Percent

Nearly 60 percent of small dairy operations were conventional operations, and

nearly 40 percent were a combination of conventional, grazing, and organic 

operations

57.1

3.5

37.2

2.0
6

Swine 

Small swine operations in this report are those with fewer than 100 pigs at peak or maximum 

total inventory between June 1, 2006, and May 31, 2007. These operations represent less than 

1 percent of the U.S. swine inventory but over two-thirds of swine operations. 

• Almost two-thirds of small swine operations have market hogs for slaughter. About onethird have female pigs for breeding, while slightly less than one-third have male pigs for 

breeding. Suckling pigs not yet weaned are found on 15.6 percent of operations. 

• About 7 of 10 small swine operations temporarily or permanently add new pigs to the 

operation. The majority bring on fewer than 10 pigs;, the most common types of pigs 

added are weaned or feeder pigs. 

• Eight of 10 small swine operations do not have any pigs transported off the operation 

(for instance, to attend a hog show) and then return. For operations that do, pigs are 

transported off the operation and return an average of 3.8 times per year. 

• Approximately three-fourths of small swine operations remove or slaughter at least one 

pig from the operation. Of these, one-half slaughter pigs for home consumption, and 

one-fourth move swine directly to commercial slaughter, sell directly to custom slaughter, 

and/or sell swine at a fair or show. Close to one-fifth of these operations move swine 

directly to other premises and/or sell them via an auction or dealer. 

• About one-third of small swine operations housed pigs in an open building with outside 

access. Approximately one-fourth of operations housed pigs in a fenced lot, and onefourth use total confinement or open-sided buildings with no outside access. About 1 of 

10 operations keep pigs in fenced pastures, and about 1 of 100 operations allow pigs to 

roam free. 

• Litters produced on small swine operations average 8.8 piglets, of which 8.0 are born 

alive and 7.3 survive through weaning. 

• More than two-thirds of small swine operations view their local veterinarian as a very 

important source of swine health information. Other pig producers and feed or animal 

health product providers are also considered very important sources for one-fourth of 

small swine operations. 

SOURCE: NAHMS Small-Enterprise Swine Study 2007, Web site: 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs/nahms/swine/index.htm
7

Swine

0

20

40

60

80

Family

tradition

Fun/hobby Source of

income

Meat for

personal

consumption

Reason

Percent

Most small swine operations rated “meat for personal consumption” and 

“learning experience for children” as highly or extremely important reasons 

for raising pigs

Clubs Learning

experience

for children

32.8

39.7

21.6

60.5

38.1

46.4

5.2

Other

reasons

for raising

pigs
8

Poultry

Small chicken operations are defined in this report as having between 1,000 and 19,999 

chickens based primarily on data from the 2002 Census of Agriculture. These small operations 

represent 2.4 percent of the U.S. chicken inventory. 

• Many U.S. poultry operations function under a contract with a poultry company 

(integrator), whereby the poultry company provides birds, feed, and veterinary services, 

and the farmer provides labor and housing for the birds. Over one-half of small chicken 

operations are contract farms with breeding chickens, and about one-fourth of small 

chicken operations are contract farms with chickens for uses other than breeding. 

• Independent operations that do not have a contract with a poultry company account for 

17.4 percent of small operations. 

• Of small chicken operations, a higher percentage with 1,000 to 9,999 chickens have 

chickens for table-egg production. Of operations with 10,000 to 19,999 chickens, 63.0 

percent have breeding chickens for hatching egg production. 

• Operations with 1,000 to 9,999 chickens also have a greater variety of bird types than 

operations with 10,000 to 19,999 chickens, including chickens for meat production, 

waterfowl, and turkeys,. 

• Birds older than hatchlings are usually placed on the operation once during the year. 

The majority of operations that placed older birds obtain the birds directly from another 

poultry operation. About one of five operations obtain birds from a poultry wholesaler or 

dealer. 

• Very few small chicken operations take poultry to a location in which other birds are 

present and then return the birds to the operation. Most operations that do take poultry 

to another location are independent (noncontract) operations. 

• More than three-fourths of small operations permanently remove live poultry during the 

year. The most common channels for removing live birds are sending the birds to 

slaughter and returning birds to the contractor. Less than 1 of 10 operations that remove 

birds send the birds to another premises with poultry or to a live-bird market. 

• Over 90 percent of contract operations that produced eggs have at least some eggs 

removed via commercial egg pickup or contract arrangement, while over one-half of 

independent (noncontract) operations deliver at least some of their eggs to their 

destination or have customers pick up eggs on-site. 

• By far the most important source of bird health information is a service person employed 

by a poultry contractor. Extension service, Federal, State, or university veterinarians or 

diagnostic labs, nutritionists, and private practice veterinarians follow in importance and 

are ranked similarly. 

SOURCE: NAHMS Small Enterprise Chicken Study 2007, Web site: 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs/nahms/poultry/
9

Poultry

0

20

40

60

80

Independent (Noncontract)

Contract

Natural (no feed

additives fed)

Organic Free-range or

pasture raised

Defined as*...

Percent

Percentage of small poultry operations that defined any part of the poultry 

operation in the following way, by contract status

Cage-free (egg

layers only)

18.7

48.2

5.0

17.8

1.9

38.2

48.3

60.5

*Based on producers’ interpretation of these definitions.
10

Summary

• While small livestock and poultry farms account for the largest percentage of all livestock 

and poultry farms in the United States, the percentage of the U.S. livestock and poultry 

inventory on these operations are much lower.

• Among the individual livestock and poultry small farms, there are some marked 

commonalities. Small beef cow-calf operations are predominantly commercial cattle 

herds, rather than seedstock herds. Holstein is the overwhelming breed of choice on 

small dairy operations. Almost two-thirds of small swine operations raise market hogs for 

slaughter. And three-fourths of small chicken operations function under a contract with a 

poultry company. 

• There is little movement of animals onto small beef and small dairy operations because 

producers raise most of their own replacement animals. Small swine operations show a 

greater tendency to bring live pigs onto their premises, although the number of animals 

added is small. Small poultry operations move a much larger proportion of live birds onto 

their premises. 

• In contrast, both small beef and dairy operations move larger proportions of their cattle 

off the premises to markets and auctions. Small poultry operations move relatively lower 

proportions of their birds into live markets, and small swine operations are between the 

two extremes. 

• Small livestock and poultry operations report a variety of reasons for farming other than 

source of income. Some also adopt production practices in addition to conventional 

methods to take advantage of alternative marketing channels.