Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released June 18, 2010, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Special Note NASS is in the process of modifying report layouts in order to improve readability. This is the first issue produced using the new layout. This report issue is published using both layouts but future issues will only be produced using this layout. The previous layout is available on the NASS website: http://www.nass.usda.gov. United States 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. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: June 1, 2009 and 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 June 1 ......................: 10,407 10,494 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: May 1, 2009 and 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ----- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed April 1 .....................: 11,162 10,767 96 Placed on feed during April .........: 1,600 *1,627 102 Fed cattle marketed during April ....: 1,871 *1,857 99 Other disappearance during April ....: 69 *94 136 On feed May 1 .......................: 10,822 *10,443 96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : June 1, 2010 : : :----------------------------------------- State : June 1, 2009 : May 1, 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------- 1,000 head ------------ ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 301 268 263 87 98 California .....: 470 *425 425 90 100 Colorado .......: 980 940 970 99 103 Idaho ..........: 205 210 210 102 100 Iowa ...........: 530 600 590 111 98 Kansas .........: 2,080 2,130 2,130 102 100 Nebraska .......: 2,110 2,240 2,140 101 96 New Mexico .....: 105 (D) (D) (D) (D) Oklahoma .......: 310 325 345 111 106 South Dakota ...: 220 235 230 105 98 Texas ..........: 2,610 2,510 2,640 101 105 Washington .....: 156 175 178 114 102 : Other States1/ .: 330 385 373 (X) 97 : United States ..: 10,407 *10,443 10,494 101 100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Not applicable. 1/ Beginning in July 2009, New Mexico is included in the Other State total. Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : May 2009 : April 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 26 16 20 77 125 California .....: 74 *47 60 81 128 Colorado .......: 140 170 185 132 109 Idaho ..........: 35 27 32 91 119 Iowa ...........: 60 76 64 107 84 Kansas .........: 345 315 420 122 133 Nebraska .......: 310 400 380 123 95 New Mexico .....: 16 (D) (D) (D) (D) Oklahoma .......: 67 57 93 139 163 South Dakota ...: 40 39 42 105 108 Texas ..........: 455 400 620 136 155 Washington .....: 31 29 41 132 141 : Other States1/ .: 39 51 65 (X) 127 : United States ..: 1,638 *1,627 2,022 123 124 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Not applicable. 1/ Beginning in July 2009, New Mexico is included in the Other State total. Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : During May :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 head : Colorado .....: 25 25 25 25 45 45 45 90 140 185 Kansas .......: 65 60 70 80 110 130 100 150 345 420 Nebraska .....: 30 55 60 70 80 105 140 150 310 380 Texas ........: 170 180 100 180 110 170 75 90 455 620 : Other States .: 105 125 50 50 88 87 145 155 388 417 : United States : 395 445 305 405 433 537 505 635 1,638 2,022 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During April :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head : Colorado .....: 20 30 30 35 40 45 60 60 150 170 Kansas .......: 55 55 70 60 90 100 115 100 330 315 Nebraska .....: 55 70 65 70 90 120 140 140 350 400 Texas ........: 125 115 90 85 95 120 85 80 395 400 : Other States .: 100 95 60 50 90 *82 125 115 375 *342 : United States : 355 365 315 300 405 *467 525 495 1,600 *1,627 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ * Revised. Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : May 2009 : April 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 35 24 24 69 100 California .....: 52 *54 52 100 96 Colorado .......: 145 145 135 93 93 Idaho ..........: 39 21 31 79 148 Iowa ...........: 68 72 72 106 100 Kansas .........: 425 405 405 95 100 Nebraska .......: 450 435 455 101 105 New Mexico .....: 28 (D) (D) (D) (D) Oklahoma .......: 71 70 72 101 103 South Dakota ...: 44 38 44 100 116 Texas ..........: 510 510 475 93 93 Washington .....: 35 24 37 106 154 : Other States1/ .: 50 59 67 (X) 114 : United States ..: 1,952 *1,857 1,869 96 101 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Not applicable. 1/ Beginning in July 2009, New Mexico is included in the Other State total. Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : May 2009 : April 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : --------- 1,000 head --------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 1 2 1 100 50 California .....: 2 *8 8 400 100 Colorado .......: 25 15 20 80 133 Idaho ..........: 1 1 1 100 100 Iowa ...........: 2 4 2 100 50 Kansas .........: 20 20 15 75 75 Nebraska .......: 20 15 25 125 167 New Mexico .....: 3 (D) (D) (D) (D) Oklahoma .......: 1 2 1 100 50 South Dakota ...: 6 1 3 50 300 Texas ..........: 15 20 15 100 75 Washington .....: 1 1 1 100 100 : Other States1/ .: 4 5 10 (X) 200 : United States ..: 101 *94 102 101 109 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) 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 table on the following page 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 [Based on data for the past 24 months] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : Difference between : : : : : first and final : Number of : Root : 90 percent : estimates : months Item : mean : confidence :-------------------------------------- :square : level : : : :First :First : error : : :Average:Smallest:Largest:above :below : : : : : : :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 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov 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 NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. 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