The USDA’s Cattle on Feed Report revealed that the total number of cattle and calves on feed in U.S. feedlots with 1,000+ head capacity reached 12.0 million on November 1. This is slightly up from the previous year.

October feedlot placements totaled 2.29 million head. This marks a 5% increase from 2023, with notable increases across all weight categories. October marketings of fed cattle also rose 5% year-over-year to 1.85 million head.

DTN Livestock Analyst Shayle Stewart said the report aligned closely with pre-report expectations. On-feed numbers were less than 1% higher than last year. Only three years since 2015—2020, 2023, and 2024—exceeded 11.9 million head in November.

Drought conditions likely contributed to increased placements, particularly in lighter-weight cattle. Several states, including South Dakota (+12%), Minnesota (+ 5%), Nebraska (+ 5%), Oklahoma (+ 6%), Washington (+ 6%) and Colorado (+6%), saw significant monthly gains in on-feed totals

Read more from the USDA Cattle on Feed Report here.