How to Read the USDA Livestock Slaughter Report — Head Counts, Live Weights, Red Meat Production and Federally Inspected Share of Commercial Slaughter
USDA Livestock Slaughter of October 22, 2026: U.S. commercial red meat production 4.32 billion pounds in September 2026, down 4% from 2025; cattle slaughter down 7%; next report November 19.
Key figures (Livestock Slaughter, October 2026)
As of 29 October 2026 (KST); most recently published report: Livestock Slaughter, released October 22, 2026, by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), with September 2026 data. The NASS reports-by-date calendar for October 2026 lists the October 22 Livestock Slaughter release at 3:00 pm ET; the publication page lists the next releases on November 19 and December 24, 2026, at 3:00 PM without a time zone. Primary source: https://esmis.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/release-files/796117/lstk1026.txt[1][2][3]
| Indicator (U.S., commercial slaughter) | Previous (August 2026) | Current (September 2026) | Change vs previous | Change vs year ago (September 2025) | Evidence type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total red meat production (million pounds) | 4,095.2 | 4,322.7 | published 106% of August | published 96% of 4,509.3 | levels and published percentages: USDA NASS primary statistical record (report tables; percentages based on unrounded data) |
| Beef production (million pounds) | 1,981.6 | 2,038.3 | published 103% | published 94% of 2,157.9 | levels and published percentages: USDA NASS primary statistical record (report tables; percentages based on unrounded data) |
| Pork production (million pounds) | 2,102.3 | 2,272.9 | published 108% | published 97% of 2,339.2 | levels and published percentages: USDA NASS primary statistical record (report tables; percentages based on unrounded data) |
| Cattle slaughter (1,000 head) | 2,242.3 | 2,302.9 | +60.6 (this page's subtraction) | published 93% of 2,465.5 | levels: USDA NASS primary statistical record; change vs previous: this page's subtraction; year-ago percent published |
| Hog slaughter (1,000 head) | 9,920.3 | 10,639.8 | +719.5 (this page's subtraction) | published 97% of 10,979.4 | levels: USDA NASS primary statistical record; change vs previous: this page's subtraction; year-ago percent published |
| Cattle average live weight (pounds) | 1,441 | 1,447 | +6 (this page's subtraction) | +14 (published) from 1,433; published 101% | levels: USDA NASS primary statistical record; change vs previous: this page's subtraction; year-ago percent published |
Comparison basis: levels are as published (million pounds, thousand head, pounds); the percentages are the report's own whole-number figures, and the tables note that totals and percentages are based on unrounded data. The changes from August in head counts and live weight are this page's subtraction of the published, rounded levels. The release, publication page and calendar are all from USDA and count as one source.[1]
In three lines
1. The monthly NASS report counts commercial slaughter of cattle, calves, hogs and sheep and the resulting red meat production in the United States.
2. As published on October 22, 2026, September 2026 red meat production was 4.32 billion pounds, down 4% from September 2025; beef was down 6% and pork 3%.
3. The next reports are listed for November 19 and December 24, 2026.[1][2]
What the report counts (in NASS's words)
"Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.32 billion pounds in September, down 4 percent from the 4.51 billion pounds produced in September 2025." "Beef production, at 2.04 billion pounds, was 6 percent below the previous year." "Cattle slaughter totaled 2.30 million head, down 7 percent from September 2025." "The average live weight was up 14 pounds from the previous year, at 1,447 pounds." "Pork production totaled 2.27 billion pounds, down 3 percent from the previous year." "January to September 2026 commercial red meat production was 38.9 billion pounds, down 2 percent from 2025."[1]
Where the data come from. "Primary data for the Livestock Slaughter publication are obtained from electronic reports completed by inspectors from the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), USDA, which provide daily counts of animals slaughtered in Federally Inspected (FI) plants, in addition to total live and dressed weights." State-administered non-federally inspected plants are added to get commercial totals. "Commercial Production: Includes slaughter and meat production in federally inspected and other plants, but excludes animals slaughtered on farms."[1]
Reading in pairs
Head count vs weight. In September 2026, cattle slaughter fell 7% from a year earlier while the average live weight rose 14 pounds to 1,447, and beef production fell 6%. Red meat production is defined as carcass weight after slaughter, so head counts and pounds can move by different amounts; the report does not attribute the changes to causes.[1]
Federally inspected vs commercial. Federally inspected plants accounted for 98.0% of commercial cattle slaughter and 99.5% of hog slaughter in September 2026, and federally inspected red meat production was 4,278.5 million pounds against 4,322.7 million commercial. Farm slaughter is outside both.[1]
Same calendar both years. The report lists the slaughter days behind each monthly total: "September 2025 contained 22 weekdays (including 1 holiday) and 4 Saturdays." "September 2026 contained 22 weekdays (including 1 holiday) and 4 Saturdays."[1]
Census vs sample, and revisions. "Livestock slaughter estimates are based on a census of operating plants and therefore, have no sampling error." "Number of head slaughtered, live weights, and dressed weights are subject to revision the following month after the monthly release." Based on past experience, NASS says: "Revisions are generally the result of late reports received from slaughter plants and are usually less than one-half of one percent." Withheld state figures still count: "If not published, as indicated with a (D), these data are still included in United States and region totals."[1]
Class detail
Of cattle slaughtered under federal inspection in September 2026, steers were 52.7% and heifers 28.0%, and dairy cows 10.4%; barrows and gilts were 97.6% of federally inspected hog slaughter.[1]
Verified facts
Each fact is labelled with its evidence typeEach fact in this section carries its evidence type — either cross-checked against independent sources, or confirmed from a single authoritative record.
U.S. commercial red meat production totaled 4.32 billion pounds in September 2026, down 4 percent from 4.51 billion pounds in September 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. commercial cattle slaughter totaled 2.30 million head in September 2026, down 7 percent from a year earlier, with an average live weight of 1,447 pounds, up 14 pounds.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
U.S. commercial hog slaughter totaled 10.6 million head in September 2026, down 3 percent from September 2025, and pork production was 2.27 billion pounds.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
January to September 2026 U.S. commercial red meat production was 38.9 billion pounds, down 2 percent from the same months of 2025.[1] 1 source · authoritative record
The USDA publication page lists the next Livestock Slaughter releases on November 19 and December 24, 2026.[2] 1 source · authoritative record
Statements and readings
Not counted as facts — each item shows what kind of statement it isFrom here on: statements not counted as facts — single-source reports, the issuing body’s own statements, and this page’s own readings, each labeled.
In September 2026 federally inspected plants produced 4,278.5 million pounds of the 4,322.7 million pounds of commercial red meat and accounted for 98.0% of commercial cattle slaughter.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's reading of the U.S. production and inspection tables
September 2026 cattle slaughter (down 7% from a year earlier) fell more than beef production (down 6%), while the average live weight rose 14 pounds.[1] This page’s own calculation or reading · This page's comparison of the U.S. slaughter table
Timeline
What this page could not establish
These are questions this page tried to answer and could not. The gaps are left open rather than filled with a guess.- Why was September 2026 cattle slaughter 7 percent below a year earlier?
- How much will September 2026 figures be revised in the November report?
- Model
- claude-opus-5
- Time
- 10/29/2026, 15:19
- Body characters
- 5,798
- Sources
- 3 sources adopted
- Model
- ChatGPT (checked sources on the web)
- Time
- 10/29/2026, 15:24
- Verdict
- Revision required
Show revision history (3)
| 10/29/2026, 09:00 | First authored (claude-opus-5) | Created |
| 10/29/2026 | First version. Read in full the USDA NASS Livestock Slaughter text release of October 22, 2026, including all U.S., state, class, dressed-weight and regional tables, terms and definitions and methodology, plus the publication page and the NASS October 2026 release calendar; quotations are complete sentences matched against the source text. | Updated |
| 10/29/2026 | Revised after review: the beef FAQ now reports the three changes and states that the report does not establish why the percentage changes differ; the revision FAQ asks whether figures could be revised and says they are subject to revision; the title refers to the federally inspected share of commercial slaughter; the October 2026 calendar is cited at its month-specific address. | Updated |
Frequently asked
How much red meat did U.S. commercial plants produce in September 2026?
4.32 billion pounds, down 4% from September 2025, according to the NASS report of October 22, 2026; beef was 2.04 billion pounds and pork 2.27 billion.[1]
How many cattle were slaughtered commercially in the United States in September 2026?
2.30 million head, down 7% from September 2025, at an average live weight of 1,447 pounds, 14 pounds more than a year earlier.[1]
Does the September 2026 U.S. Livestock Slaughter report include farm slaughter?
No: commercial production in the September 2026 report covers federally inspected and other plants but excludes animals slaughtered on farms, which appear only in the annual release.[1]
Is there sampling error in the September 2026 U.S. livestock slaughter figures?
No: the September 2026 estimates come from a census of operating plants, so they have no sampling error, though they can contain non-sampling errors.[1]
Could the September 2026 U.S. livestock slaughter figures be revised?
Yes, the September 2026 head counts and weights are subject to revision the following month; based on past experience, NASS says revisions are usually less than one-half of one percent.[1]
Why did U.S. beef production fall less than cattle slaughter in September 2026?
Cattle slaughter fell 7%, average live weight rose 14 pounds, and beef production fell 6% in September 2026. The report does not establish why the two percentage changes differ.[1]