Livestock estimates, January 1, 2026

Released: 2026-02-27

On January 1, 2026, Canadian cattle and sheep inventories were up compared with the same date one year earlier, while hog inventories were down.

The Canadian cattle herd rose on January 1, the first year-over-year increase since 2018. Inventories rose in all categories of cattle and calves on January 1, 2026, on account of increased international imports paired with reductions in slaughter and international exports.

On January 1, Canadian hog inventories were down following increases in international exports and slaughter in both eastern and western Canada.

Canadian sheep inventories rose on January 1, as slaughter decreased in the latter half of 2025 relative to the same period one year earlier.

Cattle and calves

Canadian cattle producers held 11.1 million cattle and calves on their farms on January 1, 2026, up 2.5% from one year earlier.

Chart 1 
Total cattle inventories, January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026

Inventories rose year over year in all categories of cattle, notably beef heifers for breeding (+4.8%) and beef cows (+1.9%), lending support to Canadian beef herds. Producers held 3.6 million calves on January 1, 2026, a 4.3% increase from the same date one year earlier, mainly due to a 42.7% year-over-year increase in international imports of calves (368,000 head) for the period from July to December 2025.

From July to December 2025, the slaughter of cattle and calves fell 6.5% to 1.6 million head, while international exports dropped 8.9% to 361,300 head. Despite these decreases, feeder and slaughter cattle prices continued to climb to record highs over the second half of 2025, as global demand for beef remained elevated amid tight cattle supplies.

Hogs

Canadian hog producers reported having 13.9 million hogs on their farms on January 1, down 0.8% from the same date in 2025.

Chart 2 
Total hog inventories, January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026

Producers reported having 1.2 million sows and gilts (+0.4%) on January 1, 2026, while the number of boars was unchanged year over year, at 15,300 head. Meanwhile, the pig crop for the second half of 2025 rose to 15.2 million, a 3.0% year-over-year increase, owing to an increase in demand from the processing and international trade sectors.

From July to December, international exports of live hogs were up 8.0% year over year to 3.5 million head, while total hog slaughter rose 1.8% to 10.9 million head, reflecting strong demand for pork.

Sheep and lambs

On January 1, Canadian inventories of sheep and lambs were up 3.0% year over year to 833,000 head.

Chart 3 
Total sheep inventories, January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026

The sheep breeding herd rose 2.2% year over year on January 1 to 603,400 head, as inventories of ewes (+2.4%) and replacement lambs (+1.9%) both increased, while rams were stable. The number of market lambs was up 5.1% to 229,600 head over the same period.

For the period from July to December 2025, sheep and lamb slaughter fell 2.9% year over year to 370,800 head. During this same period, average producer prices of slaughter lambs fell well below those received over the previous six months (January to June 2025).

From July to December 2025, international exports of live sheep and lambs rose 19.5% year over year, totalling 4,900 head.

Contact information

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