The USDA cattle on feed was light on placements for what some were expecting.
All cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.6 million head on October 1, 2021. The inventory was 1 percent below October 1, 2020. This is the second highest October 1 inventory since the series began in 1996.
The inventory included 7.07 million steers and steer calves, down 3 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 61 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.49 million head, up 2 percent from 2020.
Placements in feedlots during September totaled 2.16 million head, 3 percent below 2020. Net placements were 2.11 million head. During September, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 435,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 360,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 495,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 498,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 275,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 100,000 head.
Marketings of fed cattle during September totaled 1.79 million head, 3 percent below 2020.
Other disappearance totaled 58,000 head during September, unchanged from 2020.
Other disappearance totaled 59,000 head during August, 7 percent above 2020.
| October Cattle on Feed | USDA | Avg. Est. | Range of Est. |
| 98.60% | 99.30% | 98.9%-99.9% | |
| 97.10% | 101.40% | 98.8%-103.3% | |
| 96.90% | 97.20% | 97%-98.9% |
