Feedlot placements decrease 3 per cent year-over-year in October Cattle on Feed report

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The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its October 1 Cattle on Feed Report October 22.

Cattle and calves on feed in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totalled 11.6 million head, down one per cent year-over-year. This is the second highest October 1 inventory since the series began in 1996. For feedlot inventory, this is the fourth month in a row of year-over-year decreases.

Included in the inventory numbers are 7.07 million steers and steer calves — which account for 61 per cent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves account for 4.49 million head. Compared to 2020, steer numbers are down 3 per cent and heifer numbers up 2 per cent.

Placements in feedlots during September totalled 2.6 million head, dropping 3 per cent from 2020. Net placements amounted to 2.11 million head. The placement total came in lower than market expectations.

Marketings of fed cattle came in slightly lower than expectations as well, totalling 1.79 million head.

Other disappearances — which includes death of cattle or cattle moved out of feedlots — totalled 58,000 head during September, unchanged from 2020.

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