Cattle On Feed (2020 vs. 2021)  

United States Cattle on Feed Up 1 Percent

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 12.1 million head on February 1, 2021. The inventory was 1 percent above February 1, 2020. This is the second highest February 1 inventory since the series began in 1996.

Placements in feedlots during January totaled 2.02 million head, 3 percent above 2020. Net placements were 1.96 million head. During January, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 410,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 440,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 575,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 417,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 105,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 70,000 head.

Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 1.82 million head, 6 percent below 2020. 

Other disappearance totaled 56,000 head during January, 4 percent above 2020.

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 81.4 percent of all cattle and calves on feed in the United States on January 1, 2021. This is comparable to the 81.6 percent on January 1, 2020.

Marketings of fed cattle for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head during 2020 represented 87.1 percent of total cattle marketed from all feedlots in the United States, up slightly from 87.0 percent during 2019.

Cattle On Feed Inventory

Cattle On Feed Placements

Cattle On Feed Marketings