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 January 1, 2023. The inventory was 3 percent below January 1, 2022.

The inventory included 7.03 million steers and steer calves, down 4 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 60 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.65 million head, down 1 percent from 2022.

Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.80 million head, 8 percent below 2021. Net placements were 1.75 million head.

During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 455,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 435,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 415,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 304,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 105,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 90,000 head. Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.74 million head, 6 percent below 2021.

Other disappearance totaled 54,000 head during December, unchanged from 2021.