US animal protein prices were steady on Thursday October 17, with market participants indicating a slow day for trading.

September USDA Feed Outlook
Grain consuming animal units (GCAUs) were estimated at 100.06 million head for the 2024/25 marketing year, according to the October USDA Feed Outlook.

A grain consuming animal unit is defined by the USDA as the dry-weight quantity of feed consumed by the average milk cow during the base period.

Although the latest forecast is up by 0.42% from September’s estimate, it is down by 0.44%, or 442,678 head, from the corresponding period in 2023/24.

The forecast for the GCAU head count in 2024/25 was increased primarily due to a 1.1 million head rise in pork production as well as an increase in broilers, more than offsetting the reduction in turkeys.

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