Cattle on Feed Down 5 Percent

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.9 million head on April 1, 2013. The inventory was 5 percent below April 1, 2012. The inventory included 6.91 million steers and steer calves, down 4 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 63 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.93 million head, down 8 percent from 2012.

Placements in feedlots during March totaled 1.90 million, 6 percent above 2012. Net placements were 1.82 million head. During March, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 410,000, 600-699 pounds were 315,000, 700-799 pounds were 540,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 634,000.

Marketings of fed cattle during March totaled 1.77 million, 8 percent below 2012.

Other disappearance totaled 76,000 during March, 10 percent above 2012.

Full Cattle on Feed report here.