Cattle Economics: Is the Beef Industry Killing Elephants or Cattle?
- ZISK
- Oct 17, 2025
- 1 min read
No, the beef industry is not killing elephants. However, the industry’s live slaughter weight is averaging more than 1,400 lb., which is about 10% of the size of a mature elephant.
The title of this article is not meant to be distasteful, but it is meant to catch a person’s attention. As the industry works through the lowest beef cattle inventory since 1951, participants have combated the lower number of cattle by growing them larger in the feedlot.
Cattle slaughter weights have changed — just as beef production has — through the years. Hopefully, this information will balance some of the storyline of a smaller beef cattle herd.
By Dr Andrew Griffith
Updated October 16, 2025 12:00 PM
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