Mt An 2-1 (6-10) Cattle on Feed Washington, D.C. Released June 18, 2010, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Cattle on Feed" call Jason Hardegree at (202) 720-3040, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Special Note NASS is in the process of modifying report layouts in order to improve readability. This report issue is published using both layouts but all future issues will only be produced with the new layout, which is available on the NASS website: http://www.nass.usda.gov. This is the last issue using this layout. U.S. Cattle on Feed Up 1 Percent Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.5 million head on June 1, 2010. The inventory was 1 percent above June 1, 2009. Placements in feedlots during May totaled 2.02 million, 23 percent above 2009. Net placements were 1.92 million head. During May, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 445,000, 600-699 pounds were 405,000, 700-799 pounds were 537,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 635,000. Marketings of fed cattle during May totaled 1.87 million, 4 percent below 2009. This is the lowest fed cattle marketings for the month of May since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 102,000 during May, 1 percent above 2009. Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, United States, June 1, 2009-2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :Previous Year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ----- 1,000 Head ---- Percent : On Feed May 1 : 10,822 *10,443 96 Placed on Feed During May : 1,638 2,022 123 Fed Cattle Marketed During May : 1,952 1,869 96 Other Disappearance During May : 101 102 101 On Feed Jun 1 : 10,407 10,494 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, United States, May 1, 2009-2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :Previous Year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ----- 1,000 Head ---- Percent : On Feed Apr 1 : 11,162 10,767 96 Placed on Feed During Apr : 1,600 *1,627 102 Fed Cattle Marketed During Apr : 1,871 *1,857 99 Other Disappearance During Apr : 69 *94 136 On Feed May 1 : 10,822 *10,443 96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2009-2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Jun 1, 2010 : : :------------------------------------------ State : Jun 1, 2009 : May 1, 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :Previous Year :Previous Month -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ----------- 1,000 Head ----------- ----- Percent ----- : AZ : 301 268 263 87 98 CA : 470 *425 425 90 100 CO : 980 940 970 99 103 ID : 205 210 210 102 100 IA : 530 600 590 111 98 KS : 2,080 2,130 2,130 102 100 NE : 2,110 2,240 2,140 101 96 NM : 105 (D) (D) (D) (D) OK : 310 325 345 111 106 SD : 220 235 230 105 98 TX : 2,610 2,510 2,640 101 105 WA : 156 175 178 114 102 : Oth Sts1/: 330 385 373 (X) 97 : US : 10,407 *10,443 10,494 101 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Comparison to 2009 is not applicable. 1/ Beginning in July 2009, New Mexico is included in the Other State total. Cattle on Feed: Number Placed on Feed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2009-2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : May 2009 : Apr 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :Previous Year :Previous Month -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 Head ---------- ----- Percent ----- : AZ : 26 16 20 77 125 CA : 74 *47 60 81 128 CO : 140 170 185 132 109 ID : 35 27 32 91 119 IA : 60 76 64 107 84 KS : 345 315 420 122 133 NE : 310 400 380 123 95 NM : 16 (D) (D) (D) (D) OK : 67 57 93 139 163 SD : 40 39 42 105 108 TX : 455 400 620 136 155 WA : 31 29 41 132 141 : Oth Sts1/: 39 51 65 (X) 127 : US : 1,638 *1,627 2,022 123 124 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Comparison to 2009 is not applicable. 1/ Beginning in July 2009, New Mexico is included in the Other State total. Cattle on Feed: Number Placed on Feed by Weight Group, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2009-2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During May :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State : Under 600 : 600-699 : 700-799 : 800 Plus : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Head : CO : 25 25 25 25 45 45 45 90 140 185 KS : 65 60 70 80 110 130 100 150 345 420 NE : 30 55 60 70 80 105 140 150 310 380 TX : 170 180 100 180 110 170 75 90 455 620 : Oth Sts : 105 125 50 50 88 87 145 155 388 417 : US : 395 445 305 405 433 537 505 635 1,638 2,022 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During April :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : Under 600 : 600-699 : 700-799 : 800 Plus : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Head : CO : 20 30 30 35 40 45 60 60 150 170 KS : 55 55 70 60 90 100 115 100 330 315 NE : 55 70 65 70 90 120 140 140 350 400 TX : 125 115 90 85 95 120 85 80 395 400 : Oth Sts : 100 95 60 50 90 *82 125 115 375 *342 : US : 355 365 315 300 405 *467 525 495 1,600 *1,627 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Cattle on Feed: Number Marketed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2009-2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : May 2009 : Apr 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :Previous Year :Previous Month -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 Head ---------- ----- Percent ----- : AZ : 35 24 24 69 100 CA : 52 *54 52 100 96 CO : 145 145 135 93 93 ID : 39 21 31 79 148 IA : 68 72 72 106 100 KS : 425 405 405 95 100 NE : 450 435 455 101 105 NM : 28 (D) (D) (D) (D) OK : 71 70 72 101 103 SD : 44 38 44 100 116 TX : 510 510 475 93 93 WA : 35 24 37 106 154 : Oth Sts1/: 50 59 67 (X) 114 : US : 1,952 *1,857 1,869 96 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Comparison to 2009 is not applicable. 1/ Beginning in July 2009, New Mexico is included in the Other State total. Cattle on Feed: Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2009-2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : May 2009 : Apr 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :Previous Year :Previous Month -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 Head --------- ----- Percent ----- : AZ : 1 2 1 100 50 CA : 2 *8 8 400 100 CO : 25 15 20 80 133 ID : 1 1 1 100 100 IA : 2 4 2 100 50 KS : 20 20 15 75 75 NE : 20 15 25 125 167 NM : 3 (D) (D) (D) (D) OK : 1 2 1 100 50 SD : 6 1 3 50 300 TX : 15 20 15 100 75 WA : 1 1 1 100 100 : Oth Sts1/: 4 5 10 (X) 200 : US : 101 *94 102 101 109 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Comparison to 2009 is not applicable. 1/ Beginning in July 2009, New Mexico is included in the Other State total. Terms and Definitions of Cattle on Feed Estimates Cattle on feed are animals being fed a ration of grain, silage, hay and/or protein supplement for slaughter market that are expected to produce a carcass that will grade select or better. It excludes cattle being "backgrounded only" for later sale as feeders or later placement in another feedlot. Placements are cattle put into a feedlot, fed a ration which will produce a carcass that will grade select or better, and are intended for the slaughter market. Marketings are cattle shipped out of feedlots to a slaughter market. Other disappearance includes death loss, movement from feedlots to pasture, and shipments to other feedlots for further feeding. Reliability of Cattle on Feed Estimates Survey Procedures: During January and July all known feedlots in the U.S. with capacity of 1,000 or more head are surveyed to provide data for cattle on feed estimates. During the other months, all known feedlots from 16 States are surveyed. The 16 States account for 98 percent of the cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head. Estimating Procedures: These cattle on feed estimates were prepared by the Agricultural Statistics Board after reviewing recommendations and analysis submitted by each State office. Regional and State survey data were reviewed for reasonableness with each other and with estimates from the previous month when setting the current estimates. Revision Policy: Revisions to previous estimates are made to improve month to month relationships. Estimates for the previous month are subject to revision in all States each month when current estimates are made. In February, all monthly estimates for the previous year, and the number of feedlots and annual marketings from two years ago are reviewed and subject to revisions. The reviews are primarily based on slaughter data, state check-off or brand data, and any other data that may have been received after the original estimate was made. Estimates will also be reviewed after data from the Census of Agriculture are available. No revisions will be made after that date and estimates become final. Reliability: Since all 1,000+ capacity cattle on feed operators in every State are not included in the monthly survey, survey estimates are subject to sampling variability. Survey results are also subject to non-sampling errors such as omissions, duplications, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. The effects of these errors cannot be measured directly. They are minimized through rigid quality controls in the data collection process and through a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. To assist users in evaluating the reliability of estimates in this report, the "Root Mean Square Error" is shown for selected items in the following table. The "Root Mean Square Error" is a statistical measure based on past performance and is computed using the differences between first and latest estimates. The "Root Mean Square Error" for cattle on feed inventory estimates over the past 24 months is 0.05 percent . This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 10.5 million head by more than 0.05 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 0.10 percent. The following table also shows a 24 month record of the range of differences between first and latest estimates for selected items. Using estimates of number on feed as an example, changes between the first estimate and the latest estimate during the past 24 months have averaged 3,000 head, ranging from 0 to 18,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has been above the final estimate 6 times and has been below the final estimate 5 times. This does not imply that the initial estimate is likely to understate or overstate final inventory. Reliability of Monthly Cattle on Feed Estimates 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : 90% : Difference Between : : : Confidence : First and Final : Number of : Root : Level : Estimates : Months Item : Mean :--------------------------------------------------------- : Square : : : : : : First : First : Error :Percent: (000) :Average:Smallest:Largest: Above : Below : : : Head : : : : Final : Final -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent -------- 1,000 Head -------- Number : Number on : Feed : 0.05 0.10 10.5 3 0 18 6 5 : Placements : 0.19 0.30 6.1 2 0 9 5 6 : Marketings : 0.30 0.50 9.3 3 0 21 4 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Based on data for the past 24 months. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch ........... (202) 720-3570 Scott Hollis, Head, Livestock Section ........... (202) 690-2424 Jim Collom - Dairy Products .................. (202) 690-3236 Joe Gaynor - Dairy Products Prices ........... (202) 690-2168 Jason Hardegree - Cattle, Cattle on Feed ..... (202) 720-3040 Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (515) 284-4340 Everett Olbert - Sheep and Goats ............. (202) 720-4751 Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278 Nick Streff - Hogs and Pigs .................. (202) 720-3106 ACCESS TO REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge. For free access, connect to the Internet and go to the NASS Home Page at: www.nass.usda.gov. E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address. 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