Cattle on Feed Inventory 3% Higher
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.7 million head on March 1, 2012. The inventory was 3 percent above March 1, 2011.
Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.71 million, 3 percent above 2011. Net placements were 1.62 million head. During February, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 400,000, 600-699 pounds were 335,000, 700-799 pounds were 469,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 510,000.
Marketings of fed cattle during February totaled 1.76 million, 2 percent below 2011.
Other disappearance totaled 93,000 during February, 52 percent above 2011.