Cattle on Feed Down, Marketings Up
Report highlights: Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.4 million head on October 1, 2008.
The inventory was 5% below October 1, 2007 and 9% below October 1, 2006. The inventory included 6.51 million steers and steer calves, down 5% from the previous year. This group accounted for 63% of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.85 million head, down 5% from 2007.
Placements in feedlots during September totaled 2.28 million, 6% below 2007 but 2% above 2006. Net placements were 2.23 million head. During September, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 445,000, 600-699 pounds were 415,000, 700-799 pounds were 541,000 and 800 pounds and greater were 880,000.
Marketings of fed cattle during September totaled 1.81 million, 7% above 2007 and 3% above 2006.
Other disappearance totaled 51,000 during September, 6% below 2007 and 25% below 2006.
Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, United States, October 1, 2006-2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : 2008 as % of Item :------------------------------------------ : 2006 : 2007 : 2008 : 2006 : 2007 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------ 1,000 Head ------ Percent : On Feed Sep 1 1/ : 10,986 10,302 9,997 91 97 Placed on Feed During Sep : 2,227 2,415 2,281 102 94 Fed Cattle Marketed During Sep : 1,760 1,696 1,812 103 107 Other Disappearance During Sep 2/ : 68 54 51 75 94 On Feed Oct 1 : 11,385 10,967 10,415 91 95 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Cattle and calves on feed are animals for slaughter market being fed a ration of grain or other concentrates and are expected to produce a carcass that will grade select or better. 2/ Includes death loss, movement from feedlots to pasture, and shipments to other feedlots for further feeding.
