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.
Jake Charleston, with Specialty Risk Insurance, joins us now for an industry update and advice for cattle producers as they consider options for managing the risks of a murky market.
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