Livestock estimates

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As of January 1, Canadian farmers had just over 12.5 million cattle on their farms, up 0.5% from January 1, 2011. This was the first year-over-year increase in seven years.

Hog producers reported 12.0 million hogs, up 1.1% from January 1, 2011, while the number of sheep rose 2.0% to 828,600 head.

The increase in the Canadian cattle herd follows six consecutive years of declining inventories. The cattle herd, however, was 16.1% lower than the peak level on January 1, 2005.

Cattle inventories edged up overall as prices increased during the year. The number of beef cows on Canadian farms, however, fell 1.0% to 4.2 million head, continuing a downward trend that started in January 2006.

This decline was mitigated somewhat by a 4.3% increase in the number of beef heifers held for breeding, to 554,300 head. The increase in replacement heifers suggests producers are beginning to replenish their herds with younger cows.

Canadian farmers had about 1.4 million dairy cows and heifers on their farms, roughly unchanged from January 1, 2011.

As of January 1, 2012, 95,105 farms reported cattle and calves, down 1.4% from January 1, 2011, and down 4.3% from the same date in 2010. Beef farms, by far the largest component, accounted for 85% of the number of farms with cattle in Canada.

In 2011, cattle and calf slaughter declined 7.5% from 2010 to 3.5 million head. Slaughter fell in all provinces except Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia. Cattle and calf exports declined 35.2% from 1.1 million head in 2010 to 689,300 head in 2011.

As of January 1, 2012, there were 6,820 hog farms in Canada, down 2.5% from the same date in 2011. These farms reported 1.3 million sows and gilts, down 0.1% from January 1, 2011, and down 1.3% from the same date in 2010.

Domestic hog slaughter was down 0.1% in 2011 from 2010 to 21.3 million head. Hog slaughter in the fourth quarter of 2011 was up 2.4% from the same quarter in 2010.

Canada exported 5.8 million hogs in 2011, up 1.3% from 2010. This was 8.4% less than the exports in 2009 and 41.8% below the peak in 2007.

Sheep producers increased their herds in 2011 as prices remained strong. The breeding herd increased as the number of ewes rose 0.6% and the number of replacement lambs went up 4.1%. The number of market lambs increased 4.9%.

Available without charge in CANSIM: tables 003-0004, 003-0031, 003-0032, 003-0083, 003-0085, 003-0087 to 003-0089, 003-0092 to 003-0094, 003-0098 and 003-0099.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 3460 and 3465.

The reports Cattle Statistics, 2012, Vol. 11, no. 1 (23-012-X, free), Hog Statistics, fourth quarter 2011, Vol. 11, no. 1 (23-010-X, free), and Sheep Statistics, 2012, Vol. 11, no. 1 (23-011-X, free), are now available online. From the Key resource module of our website under Publications, choose All subjects then Agriculture.

For more information, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-800-465-1991). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Bishnu Saha (613-951-6051, bishnu.saha@statcan.gc.ca), Agriculture Division.