WASHINGTON, D.C. – According to USDA, placements of cattle into feedlots during September 2021 were below expectations in a report viewed as mostly neutral to the trade.
Texas, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado possess the largest amount of cattle on feed currently.
Most of the cattle placed were between 700 and 900 pounds, headed to market starting early next year, but there were also a significant amount of cattle weighing less than 600 pounds.
After months of higher placements largely pushed by drought-related pressures, seeing a dip in placements is a positive move for the market.
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.3 million head on September 1, 2022. The inventory was slightly above September 1, 2021.
This is the second highest September 1 inventory since the series began in 1996.
The inventory included 6.90 million steers and steer calves, down 2 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 60 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.55 million head, up 1 percent from 2021.
Placements of 2.163 million head were 3% lower than last year’s pandemic skewed number as producers held back cattle earlier in that year due to uncertainties about beef demand. Ahead of the report, most analysts were calling for a modest year to year increase.
Placements in feedlots during August totaled 2.11 million head, slightly above 2021. Net placements were 2.06 million head. During August, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 430,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 320,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 465,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 532,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 270,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 95,000 head.
Marketings of fed cattle during August totaled 2.00 million head, 6 percent above 2021.
Other disappearance totaled 53,000 head during August, 10 percent below 2021.
COLORADO:
The number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Colorado feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or larger was estimated at 1,070,000 head as of October 1, 2022. The latest inventory was 4 percent above last month but 5 percent below the October 1, 2021 inventory.
The inventory included 590,000 steer and steer calves, 8 percent below the previous year. The number of heifer and heifer calves, at 480,000 head, are down 2 percent from a year ago.
Cattle feeders with 1,000 head or larger capacity marketed an estimated 165,000 head of fed cattle during September 2022. This was 11 percent below last month’s marketings and unchanged from the marketings one year earlier.
An estimated 210,000 cattle and calves were placed on feed during September 2022, 17 percent above the previous month’s placements, but 5 percent below September 2021 placements.
Of the number placed in September, 14 percent weighed less than 600 pounds, 12 percent weighed from 600 to 699 pounds, 21 percent weighed from 700 to 799 pounds, 29 percent weighed from 800-899 pounds, and 24 percent weighed 900 pounds and greater.
Other disappearance for September, at 5,000 head, was the same as last month and last year.
MINNESOTA:
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Minnesota feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 85,000 head on October 1, 2022. This was down 6 percent from September and down 6 percent from October 1, 2021.
Placements of cattle and calves in Minnesota feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during September totaled 14,000 head, down 22 percent from August and down 26 percent from last year.
Marketings of fed cattle from Minnesota feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during September totaled 18,000 head, up 50 percent from August but unchanged from last year.
Other disappearance totaled 1,000 head.
NEBRASKA:
Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.47 million cattle on feed on October 1. This inventory was up 4% from last year.
Placements during September totaled 590,000 head, up 8% from 2021.
Fed cattle marketings for the month of September totaled 480,000 head, up 10% from last year.
Other disappearance during September totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.
IOWA:
Note: This report is a combination of estimates from the USDA Cattle on Feed survey for Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship-funded Cattle on Feed survey for Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head.
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 600,000 head on October 1, 2022. This was up 2 percent from September but unchanged from October 1, 2021.
Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 465,000 head on feed, down 3 percent from last month and down 5 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,065,000 head, down slightly from last month and down 2 percent from last year.
Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during September 2022 totaled 85,000 head, down 4 percent from August but up 6 percent from September 2021.
Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 44,000 head, up 16 percent from August but down 35 percent from September 2021.
Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 129,000 head, up 2 percent from August but down 13 percent from September 2021.
Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during September 2022 totaled 73,000 head, down 6 percent from August but up 9 percent from September 2021.
Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 57,000 head, up 30 percent from August and up 4 percent from September 2021.
Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 130,000 head, up 7 percent from August and up 7 percent from September 2021.
Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 4,000 head.
KANSAS:
Kansas feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.36 million cattle on feed on October 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was down 7% from last year.
Placements during September totaled 445,000 head, down 12% from 2021.
Fed cattle marketings for the month of September totaled 455,000 head, up 5% from last year.
Other disappearance during September totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.
OKLAHOMA/TEXAS:
*This report contains results from the October 2022 Cattle on Feed Survey collected during the first two weeks of October. Data provided by Oklahoma and Texas producers are the foundation of the estimates made for the Southern Plains region.
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in Texas feedlots with capacity of 1,000 head or more totaled 2.82 million head on October 1, 2022, up 3 percent from a year ago.
Producers placed 410 thousand head in commercial feedlots during September, down 9 percent from a year ago.
Texas commercial feeders marketed 400 thousand head during September, down 1 percent from 2021.
On October 1, there were 2.50 million head of cattle and calves on feed in the Northern High Plains, 89 percent of the state’s total. The number on feed across the area was up 3 percent from last year but unchanged from the September 1 total.
September placements in the Northern High Plains totaled 366 thousand head, down 4 percent from the August total.
Marketings were down 13 percent from last month at 356 thousand head.
