USDA ended last week with the monthly Cattle on Feed Report showing slightly higher inventories on February 1. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.8 million. The inventory was slightly above 2023, with placements in feedlots at 1.79 million head, seven percent below 2023, and net placements at 1.71 million head.
Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 1.84 million head, slightly below 2023. Cattle on Feed and Annual Size Group Estimates Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head represented 82.7 percent of all cattle and calves on feed in the United States on January 1, 2024. This is comparable to the 82.6 percent on January 1, 2023.
Marketings of fed cattle for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head during 2023 represented 87.3 percent, up slightly from 87.2 percent during 2022.