USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service released their October Cattle on Feed Report, and the numbers show cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the U.S. totaled 10.8 million head on October 1, 2017, 5 percent above October 1, 2016. The inventory included 6.93 million steers and steer calves, up 2 percent from the previous year, and 64 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.88 million head, up 13 percent from 2016.
Placements in feedlots during September totaled 2.15 million head, 13 percent above 2016. Marketing’s of fed cattle during September totaled 1.78 million head, 3 percent above 2016.
But some wonder if cattle producers are putting herd expansion on hold for a while. Gary Crawford has a story to help answer that question.