There were 660,000 cattle and calves in Iowa feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or more on March 1, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said last week. This was up 10,000 head from February, but down 10,000 head from March 2014, the report said.

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.7 million head on March 1. The inventory was 1 percent below March 1, 2014, the report said.

Placements in Iowa feedlots during February totaled 85,000 head, the report said. This was down from 90,000 in January and from 86,000 in February 2014.

Placements in U.S. feedlots during...