WASHINGTON – Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter declined 1 percent on Oct. 1 to 10.1 million head, the US Department of Agriculture said its Cattle on Feed report. The inventory is for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 head or more.

The inventory included 6.46 million steers and steer calves, up 1 percent from Oct. 1, 2013. Steers and steer calves accounted for 64 percent of the total inventory, while heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.55 million head, down 3 percent from a year ago.


Placements in feedlots climbed 1 percent to 1.94 million head, USDA reported. For September, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 lbs. were 460,000; 600-699 lbs. were 340,000; 700-799 lbs. were 437,000; and 800 lbs. and greater were 770,000. USDA noted that September placements were the second lowest since the series began in 1996.

Marketings of fed cattle during September declined 1 percent to total 1.68 million, while other disappearance totaled 65,000, up 5 percent from 2013.