# Ongoing shortfall of replacement cattle spurs feedlots to hold on to their inventory | The National Provisioner

> Large feedlots placed 1.642 million head on feed in December 2024, down 3.3% year over year and the lowest December since 2015. Texas placements fell 23%, and analysts attribute part of the decline to the suspension of Mexican feeder imports.

- Date: 2025-01-28 · published 2025-01-28T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/26638-ongoing-shortfall-of-replacement-cattle-spurs-feedlots-to-hold-on-to-their
- Commodities: [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md), [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Persistently low placements signal tight feeder supplies ahead, which keeps feeder and fed cattle prices firm and supports feed demand from feedlots at reduced volumes.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: neutral
- FCATTLE: bullish ▲
- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| FCATTLE | 2024-02-14 | [Replacement Heifer and Cattle on Feed Trends Affecting Markets - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31815-replacement-heifer-and-cattle-on-feed-trends-affecting-markets-ag-information.md) | +1.4% | +0.9% |
| FCATTLE | 2024-08-01 | [Growing on-feed inventory, lower placements and no sign of heifer retention](https://feedsoft.ai/events/29412-growing-on-feed-inventory-lower-placements-and-no-sign-of-heifer-retention.md) | -5.7% | -5.3% |
| FCATTLE | 2021-10-26 | [New Cattle Feedlot Report Points to Shrinking Beef Cattle Herd - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST](https://feedsoft.ai/events/44700-new-cattle-feedlot-report-points-to-shrinking-beef-cattle-herd-ag-information.md) | -0.8% | +3.9% |
| FCATTLE | 2022-05-25 | [Record Number of Cattle on Feed and Record Low Inventory Outside of Feedlots](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41541-record-number-of-cattle-on-feed-and-record-low-inventory-outside-of-feedlots.md) | +9.9% | +13.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2024-11-26 | [USDA Reports Rising Cattle Feedlot Placements](https://feedsoft.ai/events/27556-usda-reports-rising-cattle-feedlot-placements.md) | +1.5% | +0.1% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-02-14 | [Replacement Heifer and Cattle on Feed Trends Affecting Markets - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31815-replacement-heifer-and-cattle-on-feed-trends-affecting-markets-ag-information.md) | -0.0% | +2.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2024-08-01 | [Growing on-feed inventory, lower placements and no sign of heifer retention](https://feedsoft.ai/events/29412-growing-on-feed-inventory-lower-placements-and-no-sign-of-heifer-retention.md) | -1.5% | -3.4% |
| LCATTLE | 2021-10-26 | [New Cattle Feedlot Report Points to Shrinking Beef Cattle Herd - AG INFORMATION NETWORK OF THE WEST](https://feedsoft.ai/events/44700-new-cattle-feedlot-report-points-to-shrinking-beef-cattle-herd-ag-information.md) | +2.3% | +7.3% |

## Sources

- provisioneronline.com: https://www.provisioneronline.com/articles/118230-ongoing-shortfall-of-replacement-cattle-spurs-feedlots-to-hold-on-to-their-inventory

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.