Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.3 million head on April 1, 2011. The inventory was 5 percent above April 1, 2010. The inventory included 7.12 million steers and steer calves, up 7 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 63 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.10 million head, up 2 percent from 2010.
Placements in feedlots during March totaled 1.92 million, 3 percent above 2010. Net placements were 1.87 million head. During March, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 380,000, 600-699 pounds were 360,000, 700-799 pounds were 588,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 590,000.
Marketings of fed cattle during March totaled 1.99 million, 4 percent above 2010. This is the second highest fed cattle marketings for the month of March since the series began in 1996.
Other disappearance totaled 52,000 during March, 13 percent below 2010.
