By DTN Staff

This article was originally published at 2:04 p.m. CST on Friday, Jan. 24. It was last updated with additional information at 2:37 p.m. CST on Friday, Jan. 24.

**

OMAHA (DTN) -- Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.8 million head on Jan. 1, 2025. The inventory was 1% below Jan. 1, 2024, USDA NASS reported on Friday.

The inventory included 7.25 million steers and steer calves, up 1% from the previous year. This group accounted for 61% of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.58 million head, down 3% from 2024.

Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.64 million head, 3% below 2023. Net placements were 1.58 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 395,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 380,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 375,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 287,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 115,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 90,000 head.

Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.74 million head, 1% above 2023.

Other disappearance totaled 59,000 head during December, 2% below 2023.

DTN ANALYSIS

"There aren't many times when the monthly Cattle on Feed report helps bolster a market's rally, but upon seeing Friday's data, traders will likely find USDA's Jan. 1 Cattle on Feed report to be undeniably bullish," said DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart.

"For starters, it's relieving to see more marketings taking place, which in combination with lighter placements, has helped decrease the total number of cattle on feed. And when you take into consideration that cattle are spending up to 150 to 190 days on feed to finish nowadays, that's quite a feat.

"Secondly, the placement data was shockingly bullish, as pre-report estimates simply had Friday's data misjudged. With total placements in December totaling 1,642 million head -- which is down 3% from a year ago -- traders will likely be eager to support the contracts again on Monday. It was also interesting to note that the following weight divisions -- those weighing under 600 pounds, those weighing 600 to 699 pounds and those weighing 700 to 799 pounds -- all saw lighter placements than a year ago. But the heavier-weight divisions of those weighing 800 to 899 pounds, 900 to 999 pounds and anything over 1,000 pounds -- all saw slightly greater placements than compared to a year ago. And with Mexican feeder cattle imports being banned since the end of November, one has to wonder how much of a role that's playing into Friday's placement data, especially given that it's the weight groups of cattle that those calves/feeders would represent.

"In conclusion, Friday's Cattle on Feed report is about as bullish of a report as cattlemen could have hoped for. It's hard to say exactly what traders will do with the contracts on Monday when the market opens, simply given that the fact that new all-time-high price points were scored this week. But it's undeniable that Friday's report is another bullish feather that the market will stick in its hat."

**

DTN subscribers can view the full Cattle on Feed reports in the Livestock Archives folder under the Markets menu. The report is also available at https://www.nass.usda.gov/….

(c) Copyright 2025 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.