Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released June 22, 2012, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 Percent Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.1 million head on June 1, 2012. The inventory was 2 percent above June 1, 2011. Placements in feedlots during May totaled 2.09 million, 15 percent above 2011. Net placements were 1.99 million head. During May, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 520,000, 600-699 pounds were 365,000, 700-799 pounds were 530,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 672,000. Marketings of fed cattle during May totaled 2.02 million, 1 percent above 2011. Other disappearance totaled 100,000 during May, 23 percent above 2011. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: June 1, 2011 and 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2011 : 2012 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed May 1 .......................: 11,175 11,110 99 Placed on feed during May ...........: 1,810 2,087 115 Fed cattle marketed during May ......: 2,002 2,015 101 Other disappearance during May ......: 81 100 123 On feed June 1 ......................: 10,902 11,082 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: May 1, 2011 and 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2011 : 2012 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed April 1 ........................: 11,257 11,482 102 Placed on feed during April ............: 1,785 1,521 85 Fed cattle marketed during April .......: 1,807 1,815 100 Other disappearance during April .......: 60 78 130 On feed May 1 ..........................: 11,175 11,110 99 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2011 and 2012 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : June 1, 2012 : : :----------------------------------------- State : June 1, 2011 : May 1, 2012 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 head ------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 290 276 282 97 102 California .....: 460 475 490 107 103 Colorado .......: 1,080 1,030 1,020 94 99 Idaho ..........: 230 215 210 91 98 Iowa ...........: 610 650 640 105 98 Kansas .........: 2,110 2,080 2,090 99 100 Nebraska .......: 2,190 2,460 2,360 108 96 Oklahoma .......: 355 295 320 90 108 South Dakota ...: 235 245 235 100 96 Texas ..........: 2,760 2,710 2,770 100 102 Washington .....: 193 224 220 114 98 : Other States ...: 389 450 445 114 99 : United States ..: 10,902 11,110 11,082 102 100 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2011 and 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2012 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : May 2011 : April 2012 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 28 26 36 129 138 California .......: 71 45 70 99 156 Colorado .........: 140 120 180 129 150 Idaho ............: 36 28 29 81 104 Iowa .............: 47 55 59 126 107 Kansas ...........: 375 300 445 119 148 Nebraska .........: 340 370 460 135 124 Oklahoma .........: 66 47 81 123 172 South Dakota .....: 33 32 38 115 119 Texas ............: 560 410 580 104 141 Washington .......: 39 28 43 110 154 : Other States .....: 75 60 66 88 110 : United States ....: 1,810 1,521 2,087 115 137 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : During May :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 head : Colorado .....: 30 35 25 30 35 45 50 70 140 180 Kansas .......: 65 90 70 90 110 130 130 135 375 445 Nebraska .....: 50 70 55 60 80 130 155 200 340 460 Texas ........: 170 220 150 125 165 140 75 95 560 580 : Other States .: 100 105 55 60 90 85 150 172 395 422 : United States : 415 520 355 365 480 530 560 672 1,810 2,087 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During April :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head : Colorado .....: 35 25 30 20 45 30 55 45 165 120 Kansas .......: 60 60 60 55 130 85 130 100 380 300 Nebraska .....: 60 50 60 50 100 90 150 180 370 370 Texas ........: 190 130 95 80 120 105 95 95 500 410 : Other States .: 100 90 65 45 90 70 115 116 370 321 : United States : 445 355 310 250 485 380 545 536 1,785 1,521 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2011 and 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2012 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : May 2011 : April 2012 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 19 27 29 153 107 California .......: 59 58 53 90 91 Colorado .........: 150 150 170 113 113 Idaho ............: 35 36 32 91 89 Iowa .............: 73 72 64 88 89 Kansas ...........: 420 380 415 99 109 Nebraska .........: 495 420 540 109 129 Oklahoma .........: 65 70 54 83 77 South Dakota .....: 50 40 43 86 108 Texas ............: 520 465 500 96 108 Washington .......: 44 34 46 105 135 : Other States .....: 72 63 69 96 110 : United States ....: 2,002 1,815 2,015 101 111 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2011 and 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2012 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : May 2011 : April 2012 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 1 1 1 100 100 California .......: 2 2 2 100 100 Colorado .........: 10 10 20 200 200 Idaho ............: 1 2 2 200 100 Iowa .............: 4 3 5 125 167 Kansas ...........: 15 10 20 133 200 Nebraska .........: 25 20 20 80 100 Oklahoma .........: 1 2 2 200 100 South Dakota .....: 3 2 5 167 250 Texas ............: 10 15 20 200 133 Washington .......: 2 3 1 50 33 : Other States .....: 7 8 2 29 25 : United States ....: 81 78 100 123 128 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 United States 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 approximately 98 percent of the cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head. Individual State estimates are published monthly for 11 of the 16 States. Data collected from the remaining 5 States are used to establish the "Other States" estimates. These 5 States include Illinois, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oregon, and Wyoming. The "Other States" category represents all cattle on feed with a capacity of 1,000 or more head for the rest of the United States. 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 establishing 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 table on the following page. 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 0.2 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 11.1 million head by more than 0.1 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 0.3 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 13,000 head, ranging from 0 to 47,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has been above the latest estimate 12 times and has been below the latest estimate 7 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]] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Root mean : 90 percent : Difference between first and latest estimate : square error : confidence : : : : : : : level :------------------------------------------------------------- Item : : : : : : Months : : : : : :------------------------------- : : : Average :Smallest : Largest : Below latest : Above latest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent percent -------- 1,000 ------- ----- number ---- : Number on feed ...............: 0.2 0.3 13 0 47 7 12 : Placements ...................: 0.3 0.5 4 0 18 8 8 : Marketings ...................: 0.3 0.5 3 0 20 6 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Travis Averill - Cattle, Cattle on Feed ...... (202) 720-3040 Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (515) 284-4340 Doug Bounds - Hogs and Pigs .................. (202) 720-3106 Jim Collom - Dairy Products .................. (202) 690-3236 Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278 Vacant - Sheep and Goats ..................... (202) 720-4751 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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