Cattle on Feed down 1%

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.8 million head on Jan. 1, 2025. The inventory was 1% below Jan. 1, 2024, USDA NASS reported on Friday. The inventory included 7.25 million steers and steer calves, up 1% from the previous year. This group accounted for 61% of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.58 million head, down 3% from 2024. Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.64 million head, 3% below 2023. Net placements were 1.58 million head.