DES MOINES, Iowa — Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 600,000 head on April 1, 2022, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Cattle on Feed report. This was down 2 percent from March and down 5 percent from April 1, 2021.
Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 575,000 head on feed, down 3 percent from last month but up 5 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,175,000 head, down 2 percent from last month and down slightly from last year.
Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during March 2022 totaled 100,000 head, down 6 percent from February and down 11 percent from March 2021. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 42,000 head, down 41 percent from February and down 38 percent from March 2021. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 142,000 head, down 20 percent from February and down 21 percent from March 2021.
Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during March 2022 totaled 108,000 head, up 5 percent from February but down 1 percent from March 2021. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 55,000 head, down 11 percent from February and down 15 percent from March 2021. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 163,000 head, down 1 percent from February and down 6 percent from March 2021. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 4,000 head.
Note: This report is a combination of estimates from the USDA Cattle on Feed survey for Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship-funded Cattle on Feed survey for Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head.
United States Cattle on Feed
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 12.1 million head on April 1, 2022. The inventory was 2 percent above April 1, 2021. This is the highest April 1 inventory since the series began in 1996. The inventory included 7.54 million steers and steer calves, up 2 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 62 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.57 million head, up 2 percent from 2021.
Placements in feedlots during March totaled 1.99 million head, slightly below 2021. Net placements were 1.94 million head. During March, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 375,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 330,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 530,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 515,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 180,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 60,000 head.
Marketings of fed cattle during March totaled 2.00 million head, 2 percent below 2021.
Other disappearance totaled 53,000 head during March, 12 percent below 2021.
— USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service