There are about 48 million head of beef cows and heifers, as well as an additional 44.24 million head of beef and dairy steers, bulls, calves, and non-replacement heifers on farms in the U.S.
Beef production in the U.S. is divided into roughly two sectors: cow-calf operations and cattle feeding operations. Cow-calf operations are typically small and are located throughout the country, and involve letting the cows feed on range or pasture. Cattle feeding operations (feedlots) produce high-quality beef by feeding grain to yearlings until they are ready for market. The majority of feedlots are small; however, a few large feedlots (>16,000 head) account for over 60% of the beef marketed. Large feedlots are concentrated in Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas.
Almost 90 million tons of beef manure is generated annually, but most of this quantity is by cow-calf operations on pasture. Feedlot cattle generated around 12 million tons. Most of the manure is used as fertilizer for crops and pasture.