Quarterly Livestock Surveys: slaughter of cattle, hogs and pigs and chicken grows in Q4
February 12, 2026 09h00 AM | Last Updated: February 13, 2026 03h15 PM
The first results of animal production in the fourth quarter of 2025 indicate that cattle slaughter rose 13.1% compared to the same period in 2024 and fell 2.9% compared to the previous quarter. Slaughter of hogs and pigs increased 2.3% compared to the same period in 2024 and fell 6.6% compared to the third quarter of 2025. On the other hand, chicken slaughter grew 3.9% in the annual comparison and fell 0.2% compared to the previous quarter.
Acquisition of raw milk, in the fourth quarter of 2025, was 7.34 billion liters, an increase of 8.2% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 and of 4.8% compared to the immediately previous quarter.
Acquisition of rawhide by tanneries registered an increase of 11.8% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and a drop of 2.6% compared to the third quarter of 2025, adding up to 11.13 million rawhide pieces.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, 1.25 billion dozen hen eggs were produced, an increase of 3.7% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and of 1.5% compared to the immediately previous quarter.
Table 1. Number of slaughtered animals and weight of carcasses of cattle, hogs and pigs, and chicken, acquisition of raw milk, acquisition of rawhide and production of hen eggs - Q4 2025
| Animal slaughter. milk acquisition. acquisition of rawhide and production of hen eggs | 2024 | 2025 | 2025 | Variação (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q4 1 |
Q3 2 |
Q4 3 |
3/1 | 3/2 | |
| Number of slaughtered animals (thousand head) | |||||
| Cattle | 9 687 | 11 279 | 10 953 | 13.1 | -2.9 |
| Hogs and pigs | 14 444 | 15 814 | 14 770 | 2.3 | -6.6 |
| Chicken | 1 622 899 | 1 689 267 | 1 686 319 | 3.9 | -0.2 |
| Weight of carcasses (tonnes) | |||||
| Cattle | 2 532 548 | 2 965 547 | 2 912 600 | 15.0 | -1.8 |
| Hogs and pigs | 1 326 399 | 1 489 007 | 1 354 822 | 2.1 | -9.0 |
| Chicken | 3 378 929 | 3 595 455 | 3 538 791 | 4.7 | -1.6 |
| Milk (thousand liters) | |||||
| Acquired (raw) | 6 783 999 | 7 009 022 | 7 342 835 | 8.2 | 4.8 |
| Industrialized | 6 773 976 | 7 002 063 | 7 336 587 | 8.3 | 4.8 |
| Rawhide (thousand units) | |||||
| Acquired (raw) | 9 950 | 11 419 | 11 126 | 11.8 | -2.6 |
| Tanned | 9 135 | 10 129 | 9 597 | 5.1 | -5.3 |
| Eggs (thousand dozen) | |||||
| Production | 1 209 554 | 1 236 668 | 1 254 700 | 3.7 | 1.5 |
| Source: IBGE, Diretoria de Pesquisas, Coordenação de Estatísticas Agropecuárias, Pesquisa Trimestral do Abate de Animais, Pesquisa Trimestral do Leite, Pesquisa Trimestral do Couro e Produção de Ovos de Galinha. Notes: 1. Data from the fourth quarter of 2025 refer to the first results of the respective surveys. 2. The first results of the quarterly livestock surveys are released only for Brazil as of the first quarter of 2018. They are early data and can be changed until the release of the results of the reference quarter. 3. The data for the year 2024 are preliminary up to the release of the data for the first quarter of 2025. |
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Cattle slaughter grows 13.1% compared to the previous year
In the fourth quarter of 2025, 10.95 million cattle head were slaughtered under some type of health inspection service. This amount represented a positive change of 13.1% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 and a reduction of 2.9% compared to the third quarter of 2025.
The production of 2.91 million tonnes of cattle carcasses, in the fourth quarter of 2025, consisted of an increase of 15.0% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and of 1.8% compared to the third quarter of 2025.
Slaughter of hogs and pigs falls 9.0% compared to the previous quarter
Slaughter of hogs and pigs added up to 14.77 million head in the fourth quarter of 2025, representing an increase of 2.3% compared to the same quarter of the previous year and a reduction of 6.6% compared to the third quarter of 2025.
The cumulative weight of carcasses registered 1.35 million tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2025, an increase of 2.1% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 and a reduction of 9.0% compared to the immediately previous quarter.
Chicken slaughter is 1.69 billion head
In the fourth quarter of 2025, 1.69 billion chicken head were slaughtered. This result was 3.9% higher than that obtained in the equivalent quarter of the previous year and it was 0.2% lower than that seen in the third quarter of 2025.
The cumulative weight of carcasses was 3.54 million tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2025. This total represented an increase of 4.7% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 and a reduction of 1.6% compared to the immediately previous quarter.
Milk acquisition increases in annual and quarterly comparisons
Acquisition of raw milk made by establishments that operate under some type of health inspection (federal, state or municipal) was 7.34 billion liters in the fourth quarter of 2025. The value corresponded to an increase of 8.2% compared to the volume recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024 and an increase of 4.8% compared to that obtained in the immediately previous quarter.
Leather acquisition grows 11.8% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024
The tanneries investigated by the Quarterly Leather Survey – those that tan at least 5,000 whole pieces of cattle rawhide per year – declared having received 11.13 million whole pieces of cattle rawhide in the fourth quarter of 2025. This amount represents an increase of 11.8% compared to that recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024 and a drop of 2.6% compared to the immediately previous quarter.
Hen egg production records 1.25 billion dozen
Chicken egg production was 1.25 billion dozen in the fourth quarter of 2025. The result represented an increase of 3.7% compared to the same period of the previous year and of 1.5% compared to the third quarter of 2025.
