Fewer Cattle Overall in UK, Most Recent Census Shows

UK - Cattle and calves fell 0.7 per cent to 9.7 million, the latest census of cattle numbers in the United Kingdom in December 2013 reveals.

20 March 2014

2 minute read

Europe

This report updates the previous one by including the figures for Scotland.

Cattle Numbers

According to the latest revision, the total number of cattle and calves in the UK fell by 0.7 per cent to 9.7 million between December 2012 and December 2013.

The UK's dairy herd remained static at 1.8 million for another year and the beef herd continues to decrease, falling by 3.0 per cent to under 1.6 million.

Scotland has now started to use the Cattle Tracing System (CTS) as the source for cattle data in December 2013, and revised its cattle time series back to 2007.

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	% change 2013 / 2012
Table 2. Cattle and calves on agricultural holdings in the UK on 1 December (thousands)
Total cattle & calves	9,945	9,924	9,692	9,749	9,682	-0.7
All female cattle	7,167	7,188	7,054	7,062	7,013	-0.7
Aged 2 years or more	4,292	4,302	4,164	4,128	4,126	-0.1
Total breeding herd	3,465	3,481	3,412	3,388	3,371	-0.5
- Beef herd	1,616	1,649	1,630	1,603	1,554	-3.0
- Dairy herd	1,849	1,832	1,783	1,786	1,817	+1.7
Other female cattle	827	821	752	740	755	+2.1
- Beef	408	398	335	346	353	+2.0
- Dairy	418	423	417	394	402	+2.1
Aged 1 to 2 years	1,391	1,364	1,352	1,394	1,396	+0.1
- Beef	907	854	835	861	852	-1.1
- Dairy	484	510	516	532	543	+2.1
Less than 1 year	1,485	1,521	1,538	1,540	1,491	-3.1
All male cattle	2,777	2,736	2,638	2,687	2,669	-0.7
Aged 2 years or more	370	348	303	305	342	+12.2
Aged 1 to 2 years	1,052	1,021	985	1,001	1,015	+1.4
Less than 1 year	1,356	1,367	1,350	1,381	1,312	-5.0
Figures sourced from the Cattle Tracing System (CTS). Data include returns from all holdings with cattle so are not subject to survey