Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the U.S. for feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.8 million head on January 1, 2025. The inventory was one percent below January 1, 2024. The inventory includes 7.25 million steers and steer calves, up one percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 61 percent of the total inventory.
Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.58 million head, down three percent from 2024.
USDA livestock economist Mike McConnell said, “The major story that continues when it comes to cattle on feed is that placement still remains strong, relatively speaking, even though they’re down slightly from a year ago. This coming on the tails of a pretty strong run of placements in the third and fourth quarters.”
Another continuing trend is lower year-over-year heifer placements for the second consecutive quarter.
“Heifers and heifer calves accounted for about 39% of feedlot inventories. This is down slightly from where it was last year, although it’s still relatively speaking on the higher end of historical north, but it has been continuing a trend that at least we’ve seen in the two quarterly reports.”
“This report was about as bullish of a report that cattlemen could have hoped for,” says DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart. “It’s a relief to see more marketings taking place, which, in combination with lighter placements, helped decrease the total number of cattle on feed.”
Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.74 million head, one percent higher than last year. Other disappearances totaled 59,000 head during December, two percent below 2023.
NAFB news service, USDA Radio
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