Feedlot Populations Drop Four Percent

Feedlots began 2023 with more marketings and fewer placements.  The monthly Cattle on Feed report released Friday indicated a total of 11,704,000 head in the nation’s largest feedlots at the start of February, down four percent from a year ago.  Placements during January were also down four percent at 1,932,000, while marketings increased four percent to 1,847,000 million.  Despite the slowdown to start the year, feedlots still registered a net gain of 22,000 head during January.