USDA’s livestock analyst Shayle Shagam says the number of cattle on feed in the U.S. as of April 1 was a record for the month due to the drought. “Continued dry conditions in the normal grazing areas means that even more cattle aren’t moving to pasture.” Drought is also playing a role in the number of heifers and heifer calves in feedlots. “This is the most interesting number, under 4.6 million head. That’s up two percent from one year ago.”
