Cattle Placements in Latest Report Surprises Some

Randall Weiseman Cattle, Livestock

cattleThe October USDA Cattle on Feed report has been released and the latest numbers show cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the U.S. (for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head) totaled 10.3 million head on October 1, 2016. The inventory was slightly above October 1, 2015. The inventory included 6.83 million steers and steer calves, down 2 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 67 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.44 million head, up 4 percent from 2015.

But placements in feedlots during September was only 1.91 million head, 2 percent below 2015. And according to USDA livestock analyst Shayle Shagam, the placement number was a bit of a surprise for some industry.


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Placements were the lowest for September since the series began in 1996. Net placements were 1.86 million head. During September, placements
of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 345,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 300,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 455,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 805,000 head.

Marketing’s of fed cattle during September totaled 1.73 million head, 5 percent above 2015.