U.S. Cattle on Feed Up 2 %, Kansas Up 4%

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.9 million head on January 1, 2024. The inventory was 2 percent above January 1, 2023. The inventory included 7.20 million steers and steer calves, up 2 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 60 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.74 million head, up 2 percent from 2023.

Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.70 million head, 4 percent below 2022. Net placements were 1.64 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 440,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 410,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 380,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 279,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 110,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 85,000 head.

Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.73 million head, 1 percent below 2022.
Other disappearance totaled 60,000 head during December, 11 percent above 2022.

Kansas feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.48 million cattle on feed on January 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 4% from last year.

Placements during December totaled 395,000 head, down 9% from 2022.

Fed cattle marketings for the month of December totaled 405,000 head, up 11% from last year.

Other disappearance during December totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.