Economist Andrew Griffith of the UT Beef & Forage Center noted that the US beef industry is operating with the smallest cattle herd since 1951, but compensating for tighter supplies through steadily heavier slaughter weights.
According to Griffith, the current average live weight for slaughtered cattle is 1,414 pounds — up 21 pounds from a year ago and 58 pounds above 2023 levels, a 4.3% increase in two years. In 2014, when cattle prices reached record highs, the average was 1,335 pounds, and in 2000 it stood at just 1,228 pounds. “Feedlots have clearly been pushing cattle to much heavier weights in recent years,” he said.
While weekly slaughter remains around 500,000 head, the higher weights are generating significantly more total volume — more than 10 million additional pounds of live weight compared with the same week in 2024, and nearly 30 million pounds more than in 2023.
The report highlights that despite a shrinking national herd, the industry has adapted to maintain beef output by improving feedlot efficiency and increasing average slaughter weights.
Griffith noted that total US beef production in 2025 is estimated at 26.4 billion lb, compared with 27.1 billion lb in both 2023 and 2024. Despite lower slaughter rates, the heavier cattle weights have prevented a sharper decline in overall output.
From a historical standpoint, the trend is remarkable: today, fewer cattle are producing more beef than in 2014, when total production reached 24.3 billion lb. This underscores the industry’s continued gains in efficiency and productivity.
Source: Drovers
