Cattle On Feed Up Nationally & In Washington

When looking at USDA’s September Cattle on Feed Report, the sector reported another increase.

“The number of cattle on feed for feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head on September 1st was 11.16 million head, which was 1% higher compared to a year ago,” noted USDA livestock analyst Anthony Fischer.

When Taking A Deeper Look At The Numbers...

Fischer added, however, when looking at both cattle placements of feedlots and fed cattle marketings as of September 1st.

“This is the second consecutive month of record low monthly placements as the supply of cattle outside feedlots remains tight," he said. "Feeder prices were down a bit in August to their lowest level since December. This may have discouraged some stockers or cow-calf operations from marketing their calves during the month. This is also the second month in a row of record-low monthly marketings, but marketings were actually above pre-report expectations. With the closure of a few packing plants in August, the pace of marketings has slowed a bit, but feedlots still made an effort to clear the front-end supply of market-ready animals.”

Northwest Numbers Mixed In September

When it comes to Northwest Cattle on Feed numbers, Idaho reported 320,000 head as of September 1st, a slight month-over-month and year-over-year decrease. While Washington reported 270,000 head, a 2% increase from both August as well as September 2025.

Click Here for USDA's September Cattle On Feed Report.

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