Although USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) commercial slaughter estimates for the month of December 2023 will be published later this month, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has published the Actual Slaughter Under Federal Inspection report through the end of the year, which allows for comparison of year-to-year slaughter.

Since last month’s Livestock, Dairy and Poultry report, estimated steer and heifer slaughter was slower than expected in November and early December, suggesting a slower pace of marketings for the month and lowering expectations for the quarter.

Prior expectations for the number of cattle on feed in the second half of 2023 were that generally tighter cattle supplies and potentially growing retention of heifers for breeding would lead to smaller levels than a year ago.

The swell of placements in September, along with less marketing, left the U.S. feedlot inventory with a total of 11.6 million head as of Oct. 1, 2023, according to the USDA’s October Cattle on Feed report.

The latest Cattle on Feed report, published by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), estimated the Sept. 1 feedlot inventory at 11.094 million head, over 2% below 11.342 million head in the same month last year.

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The latest Cattle on Feed report, published by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), estimated the Aug. 1 feedlot inventory at 11.030 million head, over 2%  below 11.289 million head in the same month last year.

On July 21, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released its biannual Cattle report. According to the report, on July 1, 2023, all cattle and calves were estimated at 95.9 million head, down 2.7 million head, or nearly 3%, from July 2022.