By DTN Staff

This article was originally published at 2:03 p.m. CDT on Friday, Aug. 21. It was last updated with additional information at 2:42 p.m. CDT on Friday, Aug. 21.

**

OMAHA (DTN) -- Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on Aug. 1, 2026. The inventory was 2% above Aug. 1, 2025, USDA NASS reported on Friday.

Placements in feedlots during July totaled 1.42 million head, 11% below 2025, NASS reported. 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% below 2025, NASS reported. Marketings were the lowest for July since the series began in 1996.

Other disappearance totaled 55,000 head during July, 8% above 2025, NASS reported.

DTN ANALYSIS

"From the outside looking in, Friday's Aug. 1 USDA Cattle on Feed report should be viewed as neutral to somewhat bullish," said DTN Livestock Analyst ShayLe Stewart, following the report's release. "But given the current developments in the marketplace, it's likely the report will be glanced at and quickly forgotten.

"I, personally, have a hard time calling this report bullish, even though some will argue that because placements are lower than a year ago, it should logically be deemed bullish. But with growing showlists and declining fed cash cattle prices, I can't overlook the increasing on-feed total.

"This is the story that the industry has seen play out for months now, as the multidecade low in the beef cow herd has made placing feeder cattle more difficult and expensive. All while fed cattle are currently spending more time on feed and affecting the turnover speed in feedlots.

"Needless to say, Friday's COF report will be quickly forgotten and overshadowed by Friday's announcement from President Donald Trump that over the next 90 days, 300,000 metric tons of product are going to come into the U.S. tariff-free for ground beef and that, on Monday, the U.S. border will reopen to Mexican cattle imports."

**

DTN subscribers can view the full Cattle on Feed report in the Livestock Archives folder under the Markets menu. The report is also available at https://www.nass.usda.gov/….

(c) Copyright 2026 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.