LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.60 million cattle on feed on January 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. This inventory was up 2% from last year. 

Placements during December totaled 505,000 head, up 5% from 2020. Fed cattle marketings for the month of December totaled 475,000 head, up 6% from last year. Other disappearance during December totaled 10,000 head, unchanged from last year.

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 12.0 million head on January 1, 2022. The inventory was 1 percent above January 1, 2021. This is the second highest January 1 inventory since the series began in 1996. The inventory included 7.36 million steers and steer calves, down 1 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 61 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.68 million head, up 2 percent from 2021. 

Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.96 million head, 6 percent above 2020. Placements were the highest for December since the series began in 1996. Net placements were 1.91 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 510,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 470,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 450,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 333,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 105,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 95,000 head. 

Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.86 million head, slightly above 2020. Marketings were the second highest for December since the series began in 1996. 

Other disappearance totaled 54,000 head during December, 10 percent below 2020. 

Access the National publication for this release at: 

https://usda.library.cornell.edu/concern/publications/m326m174z 

— USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service