Feed Lot Placements Up 10% In October

Last week's Cattle On Feed Report came with very few surprises for USDA Livestock Shayle Shagum.  He said feed lot placements usually peak in October, which is what took place.  He notes just under 2.5 million head went into feed lost last month, which is 10% higher year over year, Shagum said, that's not unexpected with winter pastures coming to and end in many areas.

"We're seeing a lot of these cattle going in to the feed lots because of dry conditions which existed in parts of the Southeast during the early part of October. And probably the conditions for winter wheat have not fully established themselves yet, so some of these cattle that might have gone on winter pasture elsewhere went to the feed lots instead."

With placements up 10% marketing of fed cattle down it puts feed lot inventories November 1st 11.8 million head.  So after two months of inventories being below 2018 levels, the livestock industry started this month up 1% compared to November of last year.

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