# Higher cow slaughter and shift in fed cattle slaughter | Ag Proud

> USDA ERS economist Russell Knight reports that a mid-February winter storm cut weekly cattle slaughter by up to 12% and shifted steer and heifer marketings from the first quarter into the second. Higher cow slaughter is expected in the first half of 2021, and high wheat prices may move cattle into feedlots sooner.

- Date: 2021-04-23 · published 2021-04-23T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/47537-higher-cow-slaughter-and-shift-in-fed-cattle-slaughter-ag-proud
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md), [Corn](https://feedsoft.ai/c/CORN.md)

## Why it matters

Shifted marketings and higher cow slaughter change near-term beef supply and feedlot placements, which affects feeder cattle demand and feed grain use in the Plains.

## Read by commodity

- CORN: neutral
- FCATTLE: neutral
- LCATTLE: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2017-08-24 | [Cattle available for slaughter give meatpackers options - Progressive Cattle \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/69613-cattle-available-for-slaughter-give-meatpackers-options-progressive-cattle-ag.md) | -1.4% | +0.7% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-04-23 | [Heavier cattle weights more than offset slower pace of slaughter to raise production \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/11327-heavier-cattle-weights-more-than-offset-slower-pace-of-slaughter-to-raise.md) | +2.3% | +3.9% |
| LCATTLE | 2018-01-24 | [Market Report: Cattle on feed continue to remain large - Progressive Cattle \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/67092-market-report-cattle-on-feed-continue-to-remain-large-progressive-cattle-ag.md) | +1.5% | +5.0% |
| LCATTLE | 2023-11-20 | [National feeder and stocker cattle report \| Capital Press](https://feedsoft.ai/events/7972-national-feeder-and-stocker-cattle-report-capital-press.md) | -2.9% | -5.1% |
| LCATTLE | 2019-01-18 | [Missing market reports now could mean trouble later - Progressive Cattle \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/61222-missing-market-reports-now-could-mean-trouble-later-progressive-cattle-ag-proud.md) | -0.6% | +0.1% |
| FCATTLE | 2017-08-24 | [Cattle available for slaughter give meatpackers options - Progressive Cattle \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/69613-cattle-available-for-slaughter-give-meatpackers-options-progressive-cattle-ag.md) | +0.9% | +8.2% |
| FCATTLE | 2023-12-28 | [Real feeder cattle prices lag \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/32847-real-feeder-cattle-prices-lag-ag-proud.md) | +0.1% | +6.8% |
| FCATTLE | 2024-06-28 | [Heavy cattle weights mostly offset tight cattle supplies \| Ag Proud](https://feedsoft.ai/events/29895-heavy-cattle-weights-mostly-offset-tight-cattle-supplies-ag-proud.md) | +0.3% | -0.4% |

## Sources

- agproud.com: https://www.agproud.com/articles/52803-higher-cow-slaughter-and-shift-in-fed-cattle-slaughter

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