The USDA says producers placed 1.842 million cattle into feedlots during December 2020.
That is up 1% from December 2019 and the second highest placement total for any December since the series of reports started in 1996, with most of those cattle light and medium weights, which will be marketed in late spring and early summer. By weight, placements of cattle weighing less than 600 pounds wee 460,000 head, 600 to 699 pound placements were 435,000 head, and placements of cattle weighing 700 to 799 pounds were 425,000 head, while 800 to 899 pound placements were 317,000 head, 900 to 999 pound placements were 110,000 head, and placements of cattle weighing more than 1,000 pounds were 95,000 head.
