NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States totaled 11.5 million on February 1, 2026, marking a two percent decline from the same date in 2025, according to the February report (PDF Version) from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
January Feedlot Activity
Placements in feedlots during January totaled 1.74 million head, 5 percent below 2025 levels.
Net placements were 1.68 million head. Breaking down placements by weight category:
- Less than 600 pounds: 360,000 head
- 600–699 pounds: 365,000 head
- 700–799 pounds: 455,000 head
- 800–899 pounds: 381,000 head
- 900–999 pounds: 105,000 head
- 1,000 pounds and greater: 70,000 head
Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 1.63 million head, a 13 percent drop from the previous year.
Other disappearances, which include death loss and movements to other states, totaled 55,000 head, 8 percent below January 2025.
Annual Size Group Trends
Feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head represented 82.7 percent of all cattle on feed in the U.S. on January 1, 2026, slightly up from 82.5 percent in 2025. Marketings of fed cattle from these larger feedlots during 2025 accounted for 87.1 percent of total U.S. feedlot cattle marketed, a slight decrease from 87.2 percent in 2024.
These numbers reflect ongoing tightness in the U.S. cattle supply and could continue to influence beef prices in 2026.
The State of Louisiana is known as a major wintering location for North American waterfowl. However, a new visitor — a species of Whistling Ducks hailing from South America — may pose a problem to native species.
November 09, 2023 01:52 PM
·
The FAO Food Price Index for October 2023 is out. Where do global food prices stand, and which categories saw the largest gains?
November 03, 2023 01:42 PM
·
Falling feed costs and strong demand for butter could be good news for dairy farmers looking to get their finances back on track.
November 03, 2023 12:38 PM
·
Where the Food Comes From producer Donna Sanders takes us along on a behind-the-scenes look at filming the show’s newest episode, “Clemson Blue,” where university cheesemakers reveal how they put the “blue” in their award-winning blue cheese.
October 26, 2023 09:00 AM
·
It is in there, the mold — those rich blue veins in creamy blue cheese that make you either love it or loathe it — but how does it get there? This bonus scene from “Clemson Dairy,” Season 4, Episode 4 of
Where the Food Comes From, explains how and why that happens.
October 25, 2023 09:00 AM
·
No, it is not some new college course — Clemson has been making blue cheese since 1941, and the product has developed a worldwide following and won some pretty big awards. With good reason — it is fantastic stuff. It is also fascinating to see how it is made. Check out this sneak peek look at the latest episode of Where the Food Comes From, “Clemson Blue.”
October 24, 2023 11:32 AM
·
