Cowmen

U.S. Cattle Inventory Hits 75-Year Low at 86.2 Million Head

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 21:08:07 GMT

As of Jan. 1, 2026, the U.S. beef cattle herd stands at 86.2 million head, continuing a downward trend. Despite a year of strong prices, USDA’s annual Cattle Inventory Report released Friday shows the U.S. cattle inventory shrank another 0.35% and now sits at its smallest size in 75 years.

“I would say the story continues,” summarizes Derrell Peel, extension livestock marketing specialist from Oklahoma State University. “I mean, it really doesn’t change the pattern that we’ve been in for the last three years now.”

Quick Report Stats:

Total Cattle and Calves Inventory: 86.2 million head (Down 0.35%)
Beef Cow Herd: 27.6 million head (Down 1%)
2025 Calf Crop: 32.9 million head (Smallest since 1941)
Beef Replacement Heifers: 4.71 million head (Up 1%)

Patrick Linnell, CattleFax director of market research, calls the report bullish.

“I think the big picture message of this report is expansion, while there was some signs of it within this report, by and large expansion remains elusive at this point,” he says.

What Are the Big Takeaways from the USDA Report?

According to Peel, the data highlights two critical areas:

1. Shrinking Cow Herd: The beef cow inventory fell 1% to 27.6 million head.
“The industry technically got a little smaller in 2025,” Peel says.

Linnell adds, “As you looked at just how tight beef cow slaughter was this past year, us and other groups had expected we would actually see an increase in the beef cow herd. Small, but an increase nonetheless. However, that’s not what this report showed.”

2. Heifer Retention Signs: Beef replacement heifers rose 1% to 4.71 million.
“There was a slight uptick in beef replacement heifers, not enough to amount to any growth in 2026, or probably even in 2027, but maybe it’s the beginnings [of a rebuild].”

John Nalivka, Sterling Marketing Inc. president, says the report indicates while replacement heifers was up 1% and those expected to calve were also up 1% from 2024 or 17% of the beef cow herd.

“From 2015 to 2018 when producers began aggressively building herds, the average number of heifers that were identified as replacements on the Jan. 1 inventory was 6.2 million or an average heifer retention rate of 21%,” he explains.

Nalivka says heifer slaughter during 2025, at 9.5 million, was down 7% from the prior year but still represented 52% of the heifers weighing more than 500 lb. on Jan. 1, 2025. In 2024, the industry slaughtered 56% of the January 1 heifers weighing more than 500 lb.

“When the industry was retaining heifers to build herds, the percentage of heifers weighing over 500 lb. that were slaughtered ranged from 39% to 49%,” he adds.

Why is the 2025 Calf Crop Significant?

The calf crop estimate was reduced to 32.9 million head — a 2% drop from 2024. This marks the smallest U.S. calf crop since 1941. This scarcity will be the primary driver for market dynamics in the coming years.

The calf crop in 1941 was approximately 31.8 million head. While the industry saw a significant liquidation in 2014, the calf crop that year only dropped to roughly 33.5 million. This means the current contraction has pushed production levels back more than 80 years.

Outlook: What Will Cattle and Beef Prices Do in 2026?

Peel predicts the small calf crop and tightening feeder supplies will push prices even higher.

“We’ve got record-high prices, and we’re going to see them push even higher for cattle and beef,” Peel says.

He reminds producers it’s important to keep in mind that it’s not just about supply.

“Demand has also continued to be remarkably good for beef as prices have gone up,” he says. “Beef prices have increased relative to pork and poultry. There are alternative proteins that consumers could be turning to, and they’re not. So that’s a very positive sign from a beef industry standpoint.”

The “Historically Slow” Rebuild

Unlike the rapid expansion seen 10 years ago, Peel expects this cycle to be much slower. Producers are cautious, remembering how quickly record prices vanished in the past.

“I do think we’re probably beginning, but it’s certainly not a concerted effort,” Peel says. “There’s not a strong, broad-based initiative in the industry. It will probably grow, but I think it’s going to continue to grow pretty slowly.”

He explains the industry has outlasted the previous cycle highs by two-plus years.

“I think producers are coming around to the idea that this is a more sustained story,” Peel says.

What is the Take-Home Message for Producers?

The market is signaling a desperate need for a rebuild.

“The incentive is there, the value of forage is there,” he says. “If you’ve got forage you can use to raise calves, the market wants you to do that. And if you aren’t fully stocked, then it’s encouraging you to think about doing that. I think the main message for producers is to take advantage of this market.”

He also encourages producers to maintain the productivity of their herds.

“We have cut cow culling so far in the last two to three years that some of these cows are going to have to be culled going forward,” he explains. “So, we got to have a few more replacement heifers just to maintain the productivity of the herd. Take care of that first and then if you need to restock. I understand the tradeoff between selling them now for what is a record price versus investing in the future, but you know, sooner or later, we have to make that investment and look a little bit farther down the road.”

Other January cattle report highlights include:

Of the 86.2 million head inventory of all cattle and calves, cows and heifers that have calved totaled 37.2 million.
The number of milk cows in the U.S. increased 2% to 9.57 million.
The number of cattle on feed was down 3% to 13.8 million.

Nalivka adds, “Only time will tell as the year progresses to determine if USDA’s Cattle Inventory is on track. One cross-check will be cattle slaughter which is an actual number reported to USDA by the packers. The inventory is generated from an annual survey number. I understand that USDA aligns annual surveys with the five-year Agricultural Census. To say the least, I have greater confidence in numbers reported to USDA that can cross-check the validity of the survey.”

He does not expect the Cattle Inventory Report to have an impact on cattle numbers or the market going forward through 2026 and into 2027, particularly with a 2% smaller 2025 calf crop.

“Numbers will continue to tighten and when coupled with continued strong demand for beef will support the market at levels at and likely above the market peak seen during third quarter 2025,” he summarizes.

Glynn Tonsor, Kansas State University ag economist, posted on LinkedIn his analysis of the report. He shares state-level beef cow inventory estimates (of seven states with more than 1 million head) Kansas’ 7% decline stands out while Missouri, Montana, Nebraska and Texas are estimated to be down 1-3% and Oklahoma and South Dakota are flat. Only Texas has a sizeable increase in estimated replacement heifers.

He shares two broader points:

While it certainly is valuable to count the number of beef cows, understand status of herd expansion, and other factors that is far from a complete story on industry supply dynamics. In short, the industry has implemented a number of efficiency gains resulting in the net effect of more edible beef production per cow in the industry.
It has become way too common to focus on supply and overlook demand dynamics. In fact, recent work with Brian Coffey documents how recent beef price patterns have been impacted more by strong consumer beef demand than any supply-side adjustments .

Analyzing the inventory numbers Peel summarizes, “It’s just amazing to me that we continue down this path. We’ve kept extending the timeline. You know, technically, with the beef cow herd and the way we look at cattle cycles, I thought 2025 would turn out to be officially the low. Well, now we’re even smaller in 2026, so we will have to wait until next year’s number to see whether this is the low. We just keep pushing this timeline out that provides even more opportunities for producers to take advantage of this market.”

Bi-annual Cattle report would be called lightly positive. 1) There was no sign of any type of January 2015 expansion (retained beef heifers +9.5%). 2) Overall, numbers came in just below the four analyst expectation. pic.twitter.com/lvNaDBusz3
— Rich Nelson (@RichNelsonMkts) January 30, 2026

To obtain an accurate measurement of the current state of the U.S. cattle industry, NASS surveyed approximately 35,000 operators across the nation during the first half of January. Surveyed producers were asked to report their cattle inventories as of Jan. 1, 2026, and calf crop for the entire year of 2025 by internet, mail, telephone or in-person interview.

Your Next Reads:
Tightest Cattle Supply Predicted in The Next 60 to 90 Days
CattleFax Predicts Profitability Despite Increased Uncertainty

The Mental Pressure of Being an Off-The-Farm Spouse

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 20:31:34 GMT

Being an off-the-farm spouse can sometimes feel like you’re living life in the in-between. You’re not fully involved on the operation, but you’re not removed from it, either.

Most of the time, you’re hearing about the good days and the bad ones secondhand, whether it’s a conversation at the dinner table or a late-night recap of the day as you crawl into bed. Through blurry details, you piece together what happened, how the day went and how your spouse is really feeling. You celebrate the wins, worry through the challenges and carry the stress right along with them, even though you weren’t there to see it firsthand.

That in-between space can be hard to explain to anyone outside the farm, but it’s a feeling many off-the-farm spouses can relate to.

Balance the Comfort and the Pressure of Stability

It’s no secret that an off-the-farm job can come with real advantages.

A steady paycheck
Health insurance
A retirement plan

Knowing when that next check will hit the bank account and having reliable health coverage feels like a safety net when life on the farm is anything but predictable. And for a lot of farm and ranch families, this reliability helps make everything else work. But with stability can also come added pressure. A pressure to provide, to stay employed and to keep everything moving forward.

More often than not, the off-the-farm paycheck carries the heavier load of the responsibility, especially when margins are tight. Per USDA data, in 2023, 96% of farm households earned money from off-farm sources, making up 77% of household income. And USDA states most households, regardless of farm size, work off the farm because it pays better than farm work, and access to health care benefits is often part of that decision.

For off-the-farm spouses working to help keep the farm afloat, this heavy load can take a mental toll.

They’re juggling budgets, weighing the “what-ifs,” and sometimes lying awake at night running the numbers in their heads — thinking through what could go wrong and how to keep the farm and family going. It’s a constant, behind-the-scenes effort to make sure everything keeps running smoothly.

Open the Lines of Communication

When that stress starts to build, one of the most helpful tools families have is simply talking about it. According to the University of Wisconsin’s Farm Management Program, farm couples and families who manage stress well tend to communicate openly, working together to plan ahead and tackle problems as a team. Having honest conversations and sharing information can help bring back a sense of control when finances feel uncertain.

That can be easier said than done. When financial pressure builds, many people try to carry it quietly — thinking they are protecting their family by keeping worries to themselves. But holding it all in can actually create more tension at home. Opening up does not mean sharing every detail or worst case scenario. It can be as simple as letting trusted family members or friends know what you are carrying and being honest about changes that may need to happen at home.

Share the Load

While there’s no perfect way to handle the stress that comes with being an off‑the‑farm spouse, you learn how to carry it in a way that works for your family. Sometimes it means adjusting plans, sometimes it means talking things out and sometimes it just means taking a deep breath and reminding yourself you’re doing the best you can.

Finding small ways to share the load can really help, whether that means talking things out, relying on people you trust or giving yourself a moment to breathe when you need it.

Cull Cows Defy Seasonality

Tue, 18 Nov 2025 14:04:31 GMT

All the talk of relaxing tariffs on imported beef, knowing that the majority of our beef imports are lean beef trimmings to go into ground beef competing with cull cow beef, suggested it might be time to take a quick look at the cull cow market.

Most will remember that cull cow prices tend to hit their seasonal lows in the rall. The most important reason for the price decline is that more cows are culled from the herd in the fall.

For beef cattle, the largest proportion of cows are culled in the fall following calf weaning. On the dairy side, cow culling increases from summertime lows. The increase in supplies of cows for sale results in lower prices. Another contributor to lower prices is the end of grilling season, with consumers shifting over to more fall and winter consumption patterns.

(USDA-AMS Livestock Marketing Information Center)

So far this fall, the cull cow market has defied normal seasonality. Southern Plains cull cow auction prices hit about $165 per cwt. back in June and have remained there since then. A couple weeks of declines were followed by rebounds back to about $165 per cwt. National average cutter quality cows have declined recently, slipping about $9 per cwt. to $126.

(USDA-AMS Livestock Marketing Information Center)

While the live cow market has not declined much, the same cannot be said for the cow beef market. The boxed cow beef cutout climbed to $340 per cwt. but has declined to $317 over the last two months. Wholesale 90% lean beef has declined from $436 to $404 per cwt. over the same period. Both the boxed beef cutout and wholesale 90% lean have followed the normal season pattern, declining into the fall.

(USDA-AMS, USDA-NASS Livestock Marketing Information Center)

We are likely to see some increased culling from the dairy side of the beef industry in the coming months. USDA’s latest milk production report indicated the nation’s dairy cow herd at 9.85 million head. That is the largest herd since at least 1993.

Milk production in September was 4% larger than the year before. Milk prices are beginning to decline sharply with increased production. There is no doubt that the increased returns from using beef bull instead of dairy breed semen to produce beef-on-dairy calves is boosting profits and aiding in the dairy herd expansion.

Beef cow culling is likely to remain low due to the historically small cow herd and incentives to expand. More dairy cow culling and less beef cow culling will continue to leave cull cow prices high.

Your Next Read: Beef Industry Chaos: Tight Supplies, Strong Consumer Demand and Political Interference

How Beef and Dairy Genetics Are Smarter and More Profitable

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 17:12:49 GMT

Understanding your customer’s needs, the power of data and the need for continuous innovation is key to the success of beef and dairy producers. Lorna Marshall, Select Sires vice president of beef genetics, emphasizes the critical role of technology, data and strategic breeding in creating value in the industry today.

Marshall was the featured guest in “ The Future of Beef Show ” podcast Episode 13 .

Her perspective highlights the beef industry’s evolution from traditional breeding methods to a more sophisticated, technology-driven approach.

Marshall’s journey in the artificial insemination (AI) industry spans decades. She explains the AI industry has seen significant consolidation during her career — from 15 cooperatives to now three to four major organizations. She says Select Sires remains the only cooperative AI organization in the U.S.

“Whatever I see happen in the dairy world, beef is going to follow it in five to seven years,” she explains.

Key takeaways from the podcast include:

1. Beef-on-Dairy Evolution: The beef on dairy market has transformed dramatically since 2018, creating more valuable cattle by crossing beef bulls with dairy cows.

She says AI companies are focusing on terminal traits for beef-on-dairy, creating bulls specifically designed for producing high-value feeder cattle.

The biggest challenge in the beef-on-dairy space is semen fertility. Marshall acknowledges male-sexed semen would be a good option for beef-on-dairy, but the conception level is not where it needs to be today.

“Fertility is three times more important than any other trait,” Marshall explains about working with dairy producers. “Sexed semen, while we have really improved that product a lot, it still does not have the same level of fertility and conception rate.”

She adds management and cow fertility play a role in the success of sexed semen conception so it is something that can be considered herd by herd, not something implemented across the entire dairy population.

“If I could figure out how to improve bull fertility,” she says. “That would be the No. 1 thing I could do to improve business for Select Sires, or really, any AI organization.”

Fertility is not highly heritable, and there can easily be a 20-percentage-point difference between high and low bulls.

“The thing I love most about beef-on-dairy is, I love data, and I, finally, for the first time in my career, have data to play with,” Marshall says.

2. Genomic Testing: There’s a growing potential for genomic testing in beef cattle, similar to what’s been done in the dairy industry, to improve genetic selection and herd performance.

“If I was a commercial beef producer, I’d be wanting to test my commercial females and figure out who are really the elite ones,” she explains. “And then let’s go build our replacement heifers out of those.”

3. Breed and Genetic Trends: Genetic selection is becoming increasingly precise and data driven. The future of beef genetics lies in comprehensive trait measurement and genomic understanding.

She also emphasizes the beef industry’s evolution from single-trait selection to a more comprehensive strategy.

“There is always a pendulum changing or swinging,” Marshall says. “You’re always going to have people that are more willing to go out on those pendulums farther than others. And that’s what I love about our commercial industry, they always kind of keep the seedstock industry a little bit grounded.”

She explains at Select Sires they strive to provide the customer what they really want.

“We need some of those extremes, honestly, to kind of move the industry forward in different areas,” she says. “Look what we’ve done on traits like marbling. We’ve totally changed the beef demand dynamic, because we’ve created a more palatable product that our consumers really like.”

Comparing the seedstock and commercial beef industries, she says seedstock producers generally select for extreme in traits trying to be breed leading.

“Our commercial customers have almost always selected more for balance,” she summarizes. “But really the secret sauce to getting bulls that are going to sell lots of semen would combine phenotype and genotype, and then their pedigree is always important.”

Marshall predicts the industry will continue to develop new traits that we don’t measure today.

“We may get rid of some of the traits that we have and measure things in a much more profitable way, like age to harvest,” she adds.

She also emphasizes the need for bulls that will produce the next generation of the nation’s cow herd.

“We better have some maternal bulls in our lineup, because beef producers are ready to start rebuilding the cow herd,” Marshall says.

4. Labor Barrier for AI : The labor needed for synchronization is a critical challenge in AI adoption.

Marshall identifies labor as the primary barrier to increasing AI adoption.

“Until we figure out how to synchronize that cow with less labor, it’s going to be really hard to move the needle in a significant way,” she says.

Marshall summarizes the future of the beef industry relies on these four strategies:

- Embracing technological innovation
- Maintaining genetic diversity
- Focusing on commercial producer needs
- Continuous learning and adaptation

Check out the podcast to learn more about how Marshall believes how data, genetics and innovation is shaping the future of beef cattle production.

Rebuilding the U.S. Cow Herd: A Calculated Climb

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 12:14:48 GMT

Lance Zimmerman is a senior beef industry analyst with RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness and helped provide research and insights for Drover’s State of the Beef Industry report.

Cow liquidation is in the rearview. Heifer retention is underway. The U.S. cattle cycle is officially shifting into rebuild mode, but this recovery will not be a stampede. It’s shaping up as a slow, strategic climb.

Beef processing bottlenecks, persistent drought, soaring feed costs, labor shortages and post-pandemic friction kept cow-calf margins relatively tight from 2016 to 2022. Some of those pressures have eased, but with herd numbers set to grow, others could easily resurface. As producers hold back more heifer calves this fall, herd replenishment remains a cautious and calculated exercise.

Rabobank expects the Jan. 1, 2026, beef cow inventory to be 28 million head, up 200,000 head from the prior year. A second increase of less than 500,000 head is likely over the following year. In short, do not expect dramatic shifts early in this rebuilding effort. From 2024 to 2026, the nation’s beef cow herd will hold relatively steady (see Figure 1).

Figure 1: U.S. beef cow inventory on January 1

(USDA, Rabobank 2026-2030 forecast)

More meaningful herd growth is forecast from Jan. 1, 2027, into the early 2030s. But even then, the peak inventory projection is likely to be 500,000 to 1 million head below the 2019 highs, and that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Thanks to long-term efficiency gains across the U.S. beef sector, a rebuild topping 30.5 million cows might be more than enough to hit new record high in total production. Per capita beef supplies could reach levels not seen in more than two decades. Still, adding upward of 2.5 million cows during this next phase will be complicated.

According to the latest Farm Journal State of the Beef Industry survey , just 47% of producers are considering expanding their cow herd within the next five years, a four-point drop from last year’s already modest number.

Factors Affecting Herd Building

The hesitation is rooted in hard realities. Rising input costs, from fencing and equipment to replacement heifers, are straining budgets. And it is not just the higher price tags. Volatility is adding pressure. Fluctuating expenses are muddying financial planning, tightening cash flow, and making profit targets feel increasingly out of reach.

Access to pastureland is still a sore spot. Prices keep climbing, while land-use restrictions and expanding suburbs are blocking opportunities for cattle producers.

Federal government shifts are not helping morale either. Regulatory red tape and compliance demands already pull significant time and resources. Adding the moving target of trade policy and a maze of new rules, and producers find themselves burning hours to stay current. The burden is exhausting.

Behind much of the fatigue in cattle production lies a familiar challenge: aging producers and a shrinking labor pool. Finding help is tough and getting tougher.

Older ranchers worry about health, longevity and who will take the reins next. Meanwhile, the next generation faces a different battle: securing capital, gaining know-how and finding tenacity that defined those who came before. The grit is there — so are the obstacles.

Given these constraints, can the beef cow inventory forecast outlined earlier really take shape in the coming years? Improving drought conditions and profitability help. Survey responses suggest it will take even more than that.

USDA’s latest Census of Agriculture reveals a clear trend: big cow-calf operations are getting bigger. Since 2012, producers with 200 head or more added 2.2 million cows, a 20% jump. Meanwhile, operations less than 200 head lost 2 million, an 11% drop. The shift was established by 2017 and accelerated into 2022.

Rabobank sees the 2027 census amplifying the trend: big operations getting even bigger. They have the capital cushion to absorb risk and make bold moves without jeopardizing the ranch. That is critical when bred cow and heifer prices push past $4,000 per head in the next few years and calf prices soften as supply grows later in the cattle cycle.

Producer age matters even more in this rebuilding effort. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, beef cattle operators now average 58.3 years old, the oldest among all U.S. livestock and poultry producer groups.

Younger ranchers might be more willing to bet bigger during this rebuild. For many families, it’s a natural handoff, an exit lane for older operators to transition decision-making to the next generation. Also, herd expansion could unlock new revenue and pull sons and daughters back into the ranch.

Cow-calf producers stand apart in the beef supply chain as fixed-cost operators in a largely margin-driven sector, but that distinction is blurring.

As herd size grows larger and ranch leadership skews younger, margin thinking will gain ground. Larger producers focus on profit per cow or per acre. Younger ranchers lean into data and strategy.

With volatile market prices and uncertainty surrounding the cattle business, margin-minded cow-calf operators are not just likely to evolve during this cow herd rebuild. They are essential to the U.S. restocking effort.

The State of the Beef Industry Report includes input from nearly 500 beef producers. The annual report provides information to help producers when making decisions. Click here to download the full report.

For more insights to the report as well as producer and economist perspectives, watch the State of the Beef Industry Webinar exclusive on FarmJournal.tv . The panel includes Ken Odde, a South Dakota cattle producer, along with Matt Perrier, Angus seedstock producer from Kansas, and Lance Zimmerman, RaboResearch senior beef industry analyst. You won’t want to miss their thoughts on the beef industry today and in the future.

Your Next Read: Consumer Craze for Protein Drives Beef Demand

— Lance Zimmerman serves as RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness’ senior beef industry analyst. Discovering and implementing decision-friendly business solutions for agricultural and food companies has been the focus of his career. Growing up on a western Kansas farming operation that includes a commercial cow-calf herd has fueled his passion for the industry.

Be Aware: Dangerous Asian Longhorned Tick Continues Migrating West

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 14:42:45 GMT

The Asian Longhorned Tick (ALHT) poses a serious threat to cattle health. ALHTs carry Theileria, which is a protozoan parasite that infects red and white blood cells. It can lead to anemia and, in some cases, death.

ALHTs are native to eastern Asia, eastern China, Japan, the Russian Far East and Korea but were introduced to Australia, New Zealand and western Pacific Islands. In other countries, it can also be called a bush tick, cattle tick or scrub tick.

In the U.S., ALHT was first detected in New Jersey in 2017. Since then, it has spread to more than 20 states with recent confirmations in Illinois , Michigan and Iowa .

According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) ALHTs are known to carry pathogens, which can cause disease and may also cause distress to the host from their feeding in large numbers. For example, a dairy cow may have a 25% decrease in milk production after becoming a host.

A female can reproduce without a mate and lay up to 2,000 eggs at a time. This can cause great stress on a heavily infested animal and result in reduced growth and production. A severe infestation can kill the animal from excessive blood loss.

Asian longhorned tick life stages and relative actual size.

(Photos of unfed ticks by Centers for Disease Control. Photos of engorged ticks by Jim Occi, Rutgers, Center for Vector Biology.)

What does it look like?

Unfed ALHTs range from a light reddish-tan to a dark red with brown, dark markings. While the adult female grows to the size of a pea when full of blood, other stages of the tick are very small — about the size of a sesame seed.

Adult females are a grey-green with yellowish markings. Male ticks are rare.

APHIS reports it only takes a single tick to create a population in a new location.

The above photos are of a AHLT engorged (on the left) and an adult AHLT not engorged.

(New Jersey Department of Agriculture)

ALHTs need warm-blooded hosts to feed and survive. They have been found on various species of domestic animals — such as sheep, goats, dogs, cats, horses, cattle and chickens — and wildlife. The tick has also been found on people.

What are the health risks?

APHIS says ALHTs are not known to carry Lyme disease, but they can cause tickborne diseases affecting humans and animals such as:

Rocky Mountain spotted fever
Heartland virus
Powassan virus

APHIS says those diseases have not been confirmed outside of a laboratory setting in the U.S. In addition, U.S. ALHT populations can transmit U.S. Theileria orientalis Ikeda strain (Cattle theileriosis) in the laboratory.

In an Iowa State University release , Grant Dewell, Extension beef veterinarian and associate professor, says cattle affected by Theileriosis will show signs of lethargy, anemia and difficulty breathing. They may develop ventral edema, exercise intolerance, jaundice and abortions.

“Although signs of Theileriosis are similar to anaplasmosis, younger animals and calves often display more severe signs compared to mature cows and bulls,” he says. “Due to anemia from both tick infestation and Theileria, the risk of death can be elevated. If cattle producers suspect either Theileria or ALHT, have a veterinarian collect appropriate samples and submit them to a veterinary diagnostic lab.”

According to an Oklahoma State University press release , under laboratory conditions ALHT is a competent vector of numerous pathogens that can cause disease in humans, including Rickettsia rickettsii (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), Heartland Virus and Powassan Virus.

In “ Clinical Infectious Diseases, ” Bobbi Pritt, MD, MSC, with the division of clinical microbiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., reported a human bite that occurred in New York in 2019. She says though the report of a human bite isn’t surprising, it proves the invasive longhorned tick continues to bite hosts in its newest location.

“This is extremely worrisome for several reasons,” she writes. “One reason is Asian longhorned ticks can carry several important human pathogens, including the potentially fatal severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus and Rickettsia japonica, which cases Japanese spotted fever. While these pathogens have yet to be found in the United States, there is a risk of their future introduction.”

Also, Pritt says several other human pathogens have been detected in the ticks, but it’s not clear if the ALHT species are able to transmit them to humans. They include Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Borrelia species. Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria.

She warns the organisms are present in states where ALHTs have been found and that it’s possible the tick — known to be an aggressive biter— might be able to transmit Heartland virus given its close relationship to SFTS virus.

How to Tackle Ticks

According to APHIS, various strategies effectively mitigate tick populations on hosts and in the environment.

Regular tick treatments should be effective against ALHTs. Consult your veterinarian or agriculture extension agent about which products to use.
Check your livestock for ticks regularly.
Safely remove ticks from people and pets as quickly as possible. If you think you’ve found an ALHT, seal it in a zip-top bag and give it to your veterinarian for identification.
Habitat modifications can help prevent ticks on feedlots and pastures. This may include mowing grass, removing trees, reducing shade by thinning trees, understory removal and placing mulch barriers.
Apply acaricide using label instructions to tick habitats, such as woodland edges and grassy patches, during times when ticks are most actively seeking hosts. Although it varies by year, ALHTs are generally active from March to November. Consult your state and local regulations for approved acaricides.

“Cattle producers should aggressively control external parasites this summer,” Dewell summarizes. “Insecticide ear tags alone are not enough to control ticks. Consider incorporating a back rubber or regularly applying a pour-on during the summer. Pyrethroid-based products are also available that include a tick control label. If an increase in tick infestations is observed, an avermectin pour-on may be the best intervention.”

Your Next Read: 1,500-lb. Carcasses the New Normal, Not the Exception