United States Cattle on Feed Down Slightly

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.4 million head on July 1, 2020. The inventory was slightly below July 1, 2019. This is the second highest July 1 inventory since the series began in 1996. The inventory included 7.03 million steers and steer calves, up slightly from the previous year. This group accounted for 61 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for  4.41 million head, down 1 percent from 2019.

Placements in feedlots during June totaled 1.80 million head, 2 percent above 2019. Net placements were  1.74 million head. During June, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 430,000 head,  600-699 pounds were 310,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 360,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 413,000 head,  900-999 pounds were 200,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 85,000 head.

Marketings of fed cattle during June totaled 1.97 million head, 1 percent above 2019.

Other disappearance totaled 62,000 head during June, 6 percent below 2019.

United States All Cattle on Feed Unchanged

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for all feedlots totaled 13.6 million head on  July 1, 2020. The inventory was unchanged from the July 1, 2019 total of 13.6 million head. Cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head accounted for 84 percent of the total cattle on feed on July 1, 2020, down slightly from the previous year.