Projections are that the all-cattle numbers for year 2000 will be approximately 35 million less than the 1975 peak of 132 million head. We simply do not need as many beef cows today as we needed in the 1970s. The key point here is that cattle producers need to understand how we have increased the productivity of the beef cow since 1975. Many beef cow producers have increased their beef cow weights by 200 to 400 pounds per cow. A few have increased their beef cow weights substantially more.
Big cows produce big calves, and big calves produce big carcasses.
Carcass weights have steadily increased since the 1970s and the modern beef cow produces considerably more beef. Unless we increase the demand for beef, we simply do not need as many beef cows now, and we are going to need even fewer in the future. In all of the beef discussions that I have sat through, I never heard one discussion on how improved genetics is decreasing the number of beef cows needed. Somehow, the beef industry elects to ignore the primary economic impact of output-increasing technologies. For this there is an economic price to be paid.