Cattle on Feed Up 3 Percent
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.9 million head on January 1, 2012. The inventory was 3 percent above January 1, 2011. The inventory included 7.28 million steers and steer calves, up 1 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 61 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.50 million head, up 6 percent from 2011.
Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.68 million, 6 percent below 2010. Net placements were 1.59 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 550,000, 600-699 pounds were 390,000, 700-799 pounds were 365,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 378,000.
Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.80 million, 2 percent below 2010.
Other disappearance totaled 91,000 during December, 40 percent above 2010.
