– Dr. Kenny Burdine, Extension Professor, Livestock Marketing, University of Kentucky
USDA’s July Cattle on Feed report was released on Friday July 19th. These monthly reports estimate inventory in US feedlots with one-time capacity exceeding 1,000 head, which represent more than 80% of total on-feed inventory in the United States. The July report is also a quarterly report that includes data on the steer-heifer mix in feedlots. This brief article will walk through last week’s report and some of the implications of it.
Total on-feed inventory declined during the month of June with July 1 inventory estimated at just over 11.2 million head. This trend is normal as on-feed numbers tend to decline seasonally from winter to late summer. Compared to 2023, July 2024 inventory was actually about 0.5% higher. On the surface this seems odd given the recent declines in the size of calf crops, but I maintain that cheap feed and higher slaughter weights are largely the reason for this as cattle are being fed longer.
Feedlot placements have been the most interesting number to watch in recent months. For the month of June, placements were down almost 7% from last year. This contrasts with placements being 4% higher year-over-year for the month of May. These last two months illustrate why it is sometimes hard to look at things purely on a monthly basis. If I instead calculate feedlot placements for the first 6 months of 2024, as compared to the first 6 months of 2023, total placements have been down by 3.2%. This likely tells the feeder cattle supply story a bit better.
Since USDA will not be publishing a July Cattle Inventory report this year, the July steer-heifer mix on feed is especially important as it provides some perspective on heifer retention. Heifers accounted for 39.6% of on-feed inventory in July, which was actually higher than the previous estimate from April. If retention were occurring, one would expect the heifer percentage to be in the low-mid 30% range, so this continues to suggest that expansion is not on the near horizon.
