Agriculture In-depth– Larger animals helping keep meat counters full, despite near record low cattle herd number in the United States

May 4, 2026: Larger animals helping keep meat counters full, despite near record low cattle herd number in the United States

The size of the U.S. cattle herd is around the lowest it’s ever been, but one cattle marketer says larger animals are helping to keep beef readily available for consumers. In this episode of Agriculture In-depth, DRG Media Group Pierre News and Farm Director Jody Heemstra chats with Dennis Metzger from the Whitman, Nebraska, area to get his impression of the situation. Metzger works with seed stock, feeder calves and feeder calf marketing, among other things.