Iowa Cattle on Feed Down 5 Percent from 2021

Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 600,000 head on April 1, 2022, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service - Cattle on Feed report. This was down 2 percent from March and down 5 percent from April 1, 2021. Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head had 575,000 head on feed, down 3 percent from last month but up 5 percent from last year. Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in all Iowa feedlots totaled 1,175,000 head, down 2 percent from last month and down slightly from last year.

Placements of cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during March 2022 totaled 100,000 head, down 6 percent from February and down 11 percent from March 2021. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head placed 42,000 head, down 41 percent from February and down 38 percent from March 2021. Placements for all feedlots in Iowa totaled 142,000 head, down 20 percent from February and down 21 percent from March 2021.

Marketings of fed cattle from Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head during March 2022 totaled 108,000 head, up 5 percent from February but down 1 percent from March 2021. Feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head marketed 55,000 head, down 11 percent from February and down 15 percent from March 2021. Marketings for all feedlots in Iowa were 163,000 head, down 1 percent from February and down 6 percent from March 2021. Other disappearance from all feedlots in Iowa totaled 4,000 head.

Note: This report is a combination of estimates from the USDA Cattle on Feed survey for Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head and the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship-funded Cattle on Feed survey for Iowa feedlots with a capacity of less than 1,000 head.