Animal Nutrition · FF-008
U.S. Feed Grains & Livestock Demand
Explore the scale of U.S. feed-grain demand, the livestock populations behind it, and the corn balance-sheet measures that matter to feed economics.
Interactive comparison
Corn feed & residual use
Switch between feed use, corn utilization, cattle inventory, and the grain-consuming animal-unit index.
What the data shows
Corn dominates the U.S. feed-grain system
Feed demand is a derived demand: livestock and poultry numbers, ration choices, grain supply, competing ingredients, and prices all influence how much grain is fed.
Corn balance sheet
Feed competes with ethanol, exports, and other uses
| Measure | 2025/26 projection | Why it matters to feed users |
|---|---|---|
| Feed & residual corn | 6.1 billion bu | Direct measure of the largest feed-grain demand channel. |
| Ethanol corn use | 5.6 billion bu | Competes for corn supply and also creates distillers grains coproducts. |
| Ending stocks | 2.127 billion bu | Inventory cushion that influences price risk and ration economics. |
| Stocks-to-use | ~13% | Common balance-sheet indicator of supply tightness. |
| Season-average farm price | $4.10/bu | Key benchmark for feed-cost and ingredient-value calculations. |
Livestock demand
The animals behind feed demand
Feed-grain system
USDA tracks more than corn
The USDA Economic Research Service Feed Grains Database covers corn, grain sorghum, barley, oats, hay, animal-unit indexes, prices, feed-price ratios, concentrates, oilseed meals, and other animal and grain-protein feeds. Series are published monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on the measure.
Methodology & source
About these figures
This page combines complementary USDA programs without treating unlike measures as one continuous series. Feed-grain balance-sheet measures and the grain-consuming animal-unit index come from USDA Economic Research Service Feed Outlook and Feed Grains Database products. Cattle and calf inventory measures come from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service surveys.
Primary sources: USDA ERS Feed Grains Database · Feed Outlook: February 2026 · USDA NASS.
CalculateMeasure refresh: Aug. 22, 2026 · Review cadence: Monthly for Feed Outlook/feed-grain tables; quarterly or release-driven for livestock inventories. Forecasts are labeled as projections and should be refreshed when USDA revises them.
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