Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released August 21, 2026, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 Percent Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on August 1, 2026. The inventory was 2 percent above August 1, 2025. Placements in feedlots during July totaled 1.42 million head, 11 percent below 2025. Net placements were 1.37 million head. Placements were the lowest for July since the series began in 1996. During July, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 310,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 215,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 320,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 322,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 185,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 70,000 head. Marketings of fed cattle during July totaled 1.62 million head, 7 percent below 2025. Marketings were the lowest for July since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 55,000 head during July, 8 percent above 2025. Cattle on Feed Inventory, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: August 1, 2025 and 2026 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent of Item : 2025 : 2026 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed July 1 .........................: 11,124 11,370 102 Placed on feed during July .............: 1,598 1,422 89 Fed cattle marketed during July ........: 1,749 1,620 93 Other disappearance during July ........: 51 55 108 On feed August 1 .......................: 10,922 11,117 102 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed Inventory, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: July 1, 2025 and 2026 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Percent of Item : 2025 : 2026 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed June 1 .........................: 11,443 11,682 102 Placed on feed during June .............: 1,441 1,399 97 Fed cattle marketed during June ........: 1,707 1,661 97 Other disappearance during June ........: 53 50 94 On feed July 1 .........................: 11,124 11,370 102 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed Inventory on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2025 and 2026 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : August 1, 2026 : : :-------------------------------------------- State : August 1, 2025 : July 1, 2026 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Inventory :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : --------------- 1,000 head -------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 222 215 217 98 101 California .......: 475 500 485 102 97 Colorado .........: 880 930 905 103 97 Idaho ............: 325 340 325 100 96 Iowa .............: 690 680 670 97 99 Kansas ...........: 2,270 2,300 2,260 100 98 Nebraska .........: 2,390 2,540 2,470 103 97 Oklahoma .........: 310 340 335 108 99 South Dakota .....: 190 225 210 111 93 Texas ............: 2,490 2,560 2,510 101 98 Washington .......: 255 270 265 104 98 : Other States .....: 425 470 465 109 99 : United States ....: 10,922 11,370 11,117 102 98 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2025 and 2026 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During July 2026 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : July 2025 : June 2026 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Placements :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 17 21 19 112 90 California .......: 53 52 48 91 92 Colorado .........: 110 110 85 77 77 Idaho ............: 38 31 28 74 90 Iowa .............: 66 59 55 83 93 Kansas ...........: 435 305 375 86 123 Nebraska .........: 440 355 380 86 107 Oklahoma .........: 41 46 39 95 85 South Dakota .....: 22 20 16 73 80 Texas ............: 290 305 290 100 95 Washington .......: 33 35 32 97 91 : Other States .....: 53 60 55 104 92 : United States ....: 1,598 1,399 1,422 89 102 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots and Month - States and United States: 2025 and 2026 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During July 2025 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs : 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800-899 lbs : 900+ lbs 1/ : 900-999 lbs : 1,000+ lbs : Total --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head : Colorado ......: 20 20 25 25 20 (D) (D) 110 Kansas ........: 60 75 130 110 60 (D) (D) 435 Nebraska ......: 40 50 95 135 120 (D) (D) 440 Texas .........: 130 60 55 30 15 (D) (D) 290 : Other States ..: 90 40 60 78 55 (D) (D) 323 : United States .: 340 245 365 378 (X) 195 75 1,598 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During June 2026 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs : 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800-899 lbs : 900+ lbs 1/ : 900-999 lbs : 1,000+ lbs : Total --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head : Colorado ......: 20 20 25 25 20 (D) (D) 110 Kansas ........: 45 55 85 75 45 (D) (D) 305 Nebraska ......: 40 45 80 95 95 (D) (D) 355 Texas .........: 125 65 60 35 20 (D) (D) 305 : Other States ..: 95 40 50 79 60 (D) (D) 324 : United States .: 325 225 300 309 (X) 160 80 1,399 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During July 2026 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs : 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800-899 lbs : 900+ lbs 1/ : 900-999 lbs : 1,000+ lbs : Total --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head : Colorado ......: 15 15 20 20 15 (D) (D) 85 Kansas ........: 50 65 110 95 55 (D) (D) 375 Nebraska ......: 35 40 80 110 115 (D) (D) 380 Texas .........: 130 60 55 30 15 (D) (D) 290 : Other States ..: 80 35 55 67 55 (D) (D) 292 : United States .: 310 215 320 322 (X) 185 70 1,422 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Not applicable. 1/ The 900 pounds and greater weight group is the sum of 900-999 pounds and 1,000 pounds and greater weight groups. Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2025 and 2026 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During July 2026 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : July 2025 : June 2026 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Marketings :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 23 22 16 70 73 California .......: 57 58 59 104 102 Colorado .........: 125 115 105 84 91 Idaho ............: 42 39 42 100 108 Iowa .............: 65 57 63 97 111 Kansas ...........: 425 415 405 95 98 Nebraska .........: 480 435 435 91 100 Oklahoma .........: 50 50 42 84 84 South Dakota .....: 35 29 30 86 103 Texas ............: 360 345 330 92 96 Washington .......: 32 39 36 113 92 : Other States .....: 55 57 57 104 100 : United States ....: 1,749 1,661 1,620 93 98 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2025 and 2026 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During July 2026 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : July 2025 : June 2026 : Other : Percent of : Percent of : : :disappearance :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 1 1 1 100 100 California .......: 6 4 4 67 100 Colorado .........: 5 5 5 100 100 Idaho ............: 1 2 1 100 50 Iowa .............: 1 2 2 200 100 Kansas ...........: 10 10 10 100 100 Nebraska .........: 10 10 15 150 150 Oklahoma .........: 1 1 2 200 200 South Dakota .....: 2 1 1 50 100 Texas ............: 10 10 10 100 100 Washington .......: 1 1 1 100 100 : Other States .....: 3 3 3 100 100 : United States ....: 51 50 55 108 110 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Terms and Definitions of Cattle on Feed Estimates Cattle on feed are steers and heifers being fed a ration of grain, silage, hay and/or protein supplement for slaughter market that are expected to produce a carcass that will grade select or better. It excludes cattle being "backgrounded only" for later sale as feeders or later placement in another feedlot. Placements are steers and heifers put into a feedlot, fed a ration which will produce a carcass that will grade select or better, and are intended for the slaughter market. Marketings are steers and heifers shipped out of feedlots to a slaughter market. Other disappearance includes death loss, movement from feedlots to pasture, and shipments to other feedlots for further feeding. Statistical Methodology Survey Procedures: During January and July all known feedlots in the United States with capacity of 1,000 or more head are surveyed to provide data for cattle on feed estimates. During the other months, all known feedlots from 16 States are surveyed. The 16 States account for approximately 98 percent of the cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head. Individual State estimates are published monthly for 11 of the 16 States. Data collected from the remaining 5 States are used to establish the "Other States" estimates. These 5 States include Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wyoming. The "Other States" category represents all cattle on feed with a capacity of 1,000 or more head for the rest of the United States. Estimating Procedures: These cattle on feed estimates were prepared by the Agricultural Statistics Board after reviewing recommendations and analysis submitted by Regional Field Offices. Regional and State survey data were reviewed for reasonableness with each other and with estimates from the previous month when establishing the current estimates. Revision Policy: Revisions to previous estimates are made to improve month- to-month relationships. Estimates for the previous month are subject to revision in all States each month when current estimates are made. In February, all monthly estimates for the previous year, and the number of feedlots and annual marketings from two years ago are reviewed and subject to revisions. The reviews are primarily based on slaughter data, state check-off or brand data, and any other data that may have been received after the original estimate was made. Estimates will also be reviewed after data from the Census of Agriculture are available. No revisions will be made after that date and estimates become final. Reliability: Since all 1,000+ capacity cattle on feed operators in every State are not included in the monthly survey, survey estimates are subject to sampling variability. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling errors such as omissions, duplications, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. The effects of these errors cannot be measured directly. They are minimized through rigid quality controls in the data collection process and through a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. To assist users in evaluating the reliability of estimates in this report, the "Root Mean Square Error" is shown for selected items in the table on the following page. The "Root Mean Square Error" is a statistical measure based on past performance and is computed using the differences between first and latest estimates. The "Root Mean Square Error" for cattle on feed inventory estimates over the past 24 months is 0.0 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 11.1 million head by more than 0.0 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 0.1 percent. The table on the following page shows a 24-month record of the range of differences between first and latest estimates for selected items. Using estimates of number on feed as an example, changes between the first estimate and the latest estimate during the past 24 months have averaged 1,000 head, ranging from 0 to 20,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has been above the latest estimate 1 time and has been below the latest estimate 2 times. This does not imply that the initial estimate is likely to understate or overstate final inventory. Reliability of Monthly Cattle on Feed Estimates [Based on data for the past 24 months] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Root mean : 90 percent : Difference between first and latest estimate : square error : confidence : : : : : : : level :------------------------------------------------------------- Item : : : : : : Months : : : : : :------------------------------- : : : Average :Smallest : Largest : Below latest : Above latest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent percent ------- 1,000 ------- ----- number ---- : On feed ......................: 0.0 0.1 1 0 20 2 1 : Placements ...................: 0.2 0.3 1 0 20 7 2 : Marketings ...................: 0.0 0.1 0 0 2 5 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service - Estimation Branch Contacts For more information about specific data items, please contact the Estimation Branch staff members below. 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