Beef Trade Anxiously Awaiting Clues to Future Size of Beef Herd

When USDA released their September Cattle on Feed Report a week ago, it noted there were 11.1 million head on feed in the U.S, which is down 2 percent from a year ago.

But, some are questioning if cattle producers are starting to actually hold back a few heifers for additions to the breeding herd, or if they are continuing to send them to feedlots. As Gary Crawford reports, we may have a better answer to all of that in a few weeks.

In the September report, it also noted placements in feedlots during August at 2.00 million head was 5 percent below 2022, while marketing’s of fed cattle during August were 1.88 million head, 6 percent below 2022.