Cattle on Feed Report

Cattle on Feed Report

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
USDA’s latest Cattle on Feed report, released May 21, shows the number of animals on feed as of May 1 is 4.7% above year-ago levels. The report provides monthly estimates of the number of cattle being fed for slaughter. For the report, USDA surveys feedlots of 1,000 head or more, as this represents 85% of all fed cattle. Cattle feeders provide data on inventory, placements, marketings and other disappearance. It is important to remember that due to COVID-19 disruptions last year, typical year-over-year comparisons need to be contextualized.

The May Cattle on Feed Report showed a total inventory of 11.725 million head in the United States on May 1, up from the same time in 2020 but down from last month, and down 0.7% from 2019. This 4.7% increase is a bit above analysts’ expectations of feedlot inventories increasing 3.9% from last year. This report marks the second-highest May inventory since the series began in 1996.

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