By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.5 million head on Jan. 1, 2026. The inventory was 3% below Jan. 1, 2025, USDA NASS reported on Friday.

The inventory included 7.02 million steers and steer calves, down 3% from the previous year. This group accounted for 61% of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.44 million head, down 3% from 2025.

Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.55 million head, 5% below 2024. Net placements were 1.50 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 365,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 360,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 355,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 274,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 115,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 85,000 head.

Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.77 million head, 2% above 2024.

Other disappearance totaled 58,000 head during December, 2% below

2024.

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DTN subscribers can view the full Cattle on Feed reports in the Livestock Archives folder under the Markets menu. The report is also available at https://www.nass.usda.gov/….

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