Thursday June 18 USDA Cattle on Feed Report - On Feed Up 2% - Placements down 10% - Marketings down 12%

United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 Percent

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.7 million head on June 1, 2026. The inventory was 2 percent above June 1, 2025.

On Feed, by State     (1,000 hd   -  % June 01 '25)
Colorado ......:                  940          102           
Iowa .............:                  680          100           
Kansas .........:                2,420          103          
Nebraska ......:                2,630          103         
Texas ............:                2,610           99       

Placements in feedlots during May totaled 1.70 million head, 10 percent below 2025. Net placements were 1.65 million head. During May, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 320,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 240,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 400,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 444,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 225,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 75,000 head.

Placements by State  (1,000 hd  -  % May '25) 
Colorado .......:                140           117         
Iowa ..............:                 77           104           
Kansas ..........:                420            89       
Nebraska ......:                410            83         
Texas ............:                350            83          

Marketings of fed cattle during May totaled 1.55 million head, 12 percent below 2025. Marketings were the second lowest for May since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 55,000 head during May, 11 percent below 2025.

Marketings by State  (1,000 hd  -  % May '25) 
Colorado .......:                115            77      
Iowa ..............:                 75           104       
Kansas ..........:                360            90      
Nebraska ......:                405            86       
Texas ............:                310            84       

Going into today's report, the estimates were for on feed on June 1 at 102.5% with the range of estimates from 101.7% to 103.8%. Expectations for placements in May were 94.0% with estimates ranging from 89.0%-104.0%. Estimates for cattle marketings in May were 89.2%, with estimates ranging from 88.2% to 91.5%.