WASHINGTON – Cattle and calves on feed for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.2 million head on Oct. 1, a 2 percent increase above Oct. 1, 2014, the US Dept. of Agriculture said in its Cattle on Feed report.
The inventory included 6.93 million steers and steer calves, up 7 percent from a year ago. Steers and steer calves accounted for 68 percent of the total inventory, USDA reported. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.29 million head, a drop of 7 percent from 2014. USDA said the heifers and heifer calves inventory is the lowest percent of total October inventory since agency reporting began in 1996.
USDA said feedlot placements were the lowest for September since the series began in 1996. Feedlot placements retreated 4 percent to 1.93 million head. Net placements were 1.87 million head. September placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 lbs. were 395,000 head, 600-699 lbs. were 290,000 head, 700-799 lbs. were 416,000 head and 800 lbs. and greater were 830,000 head.
Marketings of fed cattle declined 2 percent to 1.64 million head, while other disappearance fell 12 percent to 57,000 head.
