Cattle on Feed Report Summary

23 Sep 2019

By DTN Staff

This article was originally posted at 2:02 p.m. CDT on Friday, Sept. 20. It was last updated at 2:44 p.m. CDT on Friday, Sept. 20.

OMAHA (DTN) -- Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.0 million head on September 1, 2019. The inventory was 1% below September 1, 2018, USDA reported on Friday.

Placements in feedlots during August totaled 1.88 million head, 9% below 2018. Net placements were 1.82 million head. During August, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 385,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 300,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 424,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 440,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 230,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 105,000 head.

Marketings of fed cattle during August totaled 1.95 million head, 2% below 2018.

Other disappearance totaled 61,000 head during August, 11% above 2018.

"There's no argument that Friday's Cattle on Feed report came back bullish," said DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart. "The only figure that was above September 2018 standards was cattle/calves on feed and only by a mere 1%."

"Placements coming in even lower than analysts' projects goes to show just how much effect the Tyson packing plant fire had on the industry. Very few cattle traded, and most cattlemen found it easier to keep their pens full than try to sell pens on a down and volatile market."

DTN subscribers can view the full Cattle on Feed reports in the Livestock Archives folder under the Markets menu. The report is also available at https://www.nass.usda.gov/….