The Cattle Inventory report provides lots of information but does not answer one important question: What is the inventory of feeder cattle available to be placed in feedlots for finishing?

Recent USDA reports provide a picture of the hay situation across the U.S. Dec. 1 hay stocks were down a scant 0.6% year over year for the entire U.S.

U.S. beef trade is stabilizing as the ripple effects of the initial COVID-19 disruptions continue to fade. The latest beef trade data for November shows that monthly exports were up 13.2% year over year.

Much of 2020 has been preoccupied with daily and weekly slaughter numbers, carcass weights and boxed beef prices, along with monthly cattle-on-feed dynamics. The intertemporal volatility through the year adds to the challenge of assessing what, exactly, is the situation regarding the cattle cycle and longer-term herd dynamics.

U.S. global meat protein exports have continued to evolve in 2020. Some of the changes this year reflect ongoing trends in global meat markets, but the COVID-19 pandemic has also affected protein trade.

Feeder cattle markets have displayed very dynamic movements this fall that have implications for cow-calf and stocker producers.

A large winter storm is advancing across the central U.S. bringing cold temperatures and some much-needed moisture. Oklahoma is expected to see a first freeze and precipitation ranging from rain to freezing rain to ice to snow through midweek. Farther north and west, snow and cold are blanketing much of the Rocky Mountain and Plains regions. Fluctuating temperatures and cold, wet conditions add additional stress and health challenges for cattle, particularly for weaning calves and receiving stockers and feedlot cattle.