Cattle on feed reports show tighter supplies

U.S. cattle and calves on feed for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head were estimated at 11.6 million on October 1, 2023, 1% higher than the same time last year,” says Ann Boyda, provincial livestock market analyst with the Alberta government. “Placements during September were 6% higher than 2022. Dryness in many parts of the U.S. pushed more cattle into feedlots. The pace of marketing slowed during September to 1.66 million head, 11% below 2022.”

Placements were up primarily in the cattle feeding areas of Kansas and Texas with increases of 60,000 and 55,000 head, respectively. California, Colorado and Idaho placed fewer cattle on feed than the year prior. Heifers on feed were at 4,635,000 head for October 1, 2023, a 1.3% increase over 2022 numbers which suggests little retention in the U.S.