US cattle confinements in pens fell by 8 percent in December

The article reports a decrease in the number of feedlot cattle in the United States with a capacity of 1,000 head or more, dropping by 3% to 11.7 million head by January 1, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. December saw a decrease in both placements and cattle sales, with placements down by 8% to 1.8 million heads and sales down by 6% to 1.74 million heads compared to December 2021. Despite these decreases, the report was rated as neutral by analysts, in line with expectations of a predicted 9% drop in pen inventories.