The USDA says there were more cattle placed into U.S. feed lots in December 2021 than any other December on record. The total of 1.963 million head was 6% above the previous year, with most of those cattle weighing less than 600 pounds, heading to market late this spring into summer. Those increased placements are linked to heavier marketings last year, poor forage conditions, and high hay prices in some of the major feeding areas.
