Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released March 18, 2011, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). United States Cattle on Feed Up 5 Percent Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.4 million head on March 1, 2011. The inventory was 5 percent above March 1, 2010. Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.66 million, 1 percent below 2010. Net placements were 1.60 million head. During February, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 400,000, 600-699 pounds were 365,000, 700-799 pounds were 489,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 410,000. Marketings of fed cattle during February totaled 1.79 million, 4 percent above 2010. Other disappearance totaled 60,000 during February, 12 percent below 2010. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: March 1, 2010 and 2011 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2010 : 2011 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed February 1 ..................: 10,959 11,583 106 Placed on feed during February ......: 1,674 1,664 99 Fed cattle marketed during February .: 1,716 1,793 104 Other disappearance during February .: 68 60 88 On feed March 1 .....................: 10,849 11,394 105 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: February 1, 2010 and 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2010 : 2011 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed January 1 ......................: 10,983 11,514 105 Placed on feed during January ..........: 1,822 1,899 104 Fed cattle marketed during January .....: 1,776 1,774 100 Other disappearance during January .....: 70 56 80 On feed February 1 .....................: 10,959 11,583 106 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : March 1, 2011 : : :----------------------------------------- State : March 1, 2010 :February 1, 2011 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 head ------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 286 266 269 94 101 California .....: 425 470 460 108 98 Colorado .......: 940 1,070 1,070 114 100 Idaho ..........: 195 230 220 113 96 Iowa ...........: 610 660 650 107 98 Kansas .........: 2,220 2,270 2,220 100 98 Nebraska .......: 2,350 2,460 2,430 103 99 Oklahoma .......: 355 375 360 101 96 South Dakota ...: 240 270 260 108 96 Texas ..........: 2,650 2,880 2,840 107 99 Washington .....: 168 209 208 124 100 : Other States ...: 410 423 407 99 96 : United States ..: 10,849 11,583 11,394 105 98 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During February 2011 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :February 2010 : January 2011 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 21 36 29 138 81 California .......: 51 54 43 84 80 Colorado .........: 160 185 215 134 116 Idaho ............: 36 31 31 86 100 Iowa .............: 78 93 71 91 76 Kansas ...........: 405 435 365 90 84 Nebraska .........: 365 430 350 96 81 Oklahoma .........: 54 66 60 111 91 South Dakota .....: 52 51 42 81 82 Texas ............: 365 440 380 104 86 Washington .......: 30 31 31 103 100 : Other States .....: 57 47 47 82 100 : United States ....: 1,674 1,899 1,664 99 88 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010-2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : During February :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 head : Colorado .....: 15 30 35 45 50 65 60 75 160 215 Kansas .......: 50 55 90 80 150 150 115 80 405 365 Nebraska .....: 55 60 80 85 110 100 120 105 365 350 Texas ........: 105 160 95 85 110 85 55 50 365 380 : Other States .: 95 95 70 70 99 89 115 100 379 354 : United States : 320 400 370 365 519 489 465 410 1,674 1,664 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During January :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 : 2010 : 2011 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head : Colorado .....: 20 25 25 50 45 65 40 45 130 185 Kansas .......: 60 55 125 120 190 165 100 95 475 435 Nebraska .....: 70 70 110 105 120 130 110 125 410 430 Texas ........: 135 165 100 115 115 105 70 55 420 440 : Other States .: 110 150 85 85 92 84 100 90 387 409 : United States : 395 465 445 475 562 549 420 410 1,822 1,899 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During February 2011 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :February 2010 : January 2011 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 24 27 25 104 93 California .......: 48 51 50 104 98 Colorado .........: 175 190 210 120 111 Idaho ............: 40 40 40 100 100 Iowa .............: 65 69 79 122 114 Kansas ...........: 415 435 405 98 93 Nebraska .........: 370 385 365 99 95 Oklahoma .........: 62 64 73 118 114 South Dakota .....: 44 40 50 114 125 Texas ............: 400 390 405 101 104 Washington .......: 27 30 30 111 100 : Other States .....: 46 53 61 133 115 : United States ....: 1,716 1,774 1,793 104 101 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During February 2011 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :February 2010 : January 2011 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 1 1 1 100 100 California .......: 8 3 3 38 100 Colorado .........: 5 5 5 100 100 Idaho ............: 1 1 1 100 100 Iowa .............: 3 4 2 67 50 Kansas ...........: 10 10 10 100 100 Nebraska .........: 15 15 15 100 100 Oklahoma .........: 2 2 2 100 100 South Dakota .....: 3 1 2 67 200 Texas ............: 15 10 15 100 150 Washington .......: 1 1 2 200 200 : Other States .....: 4 3 2 50 67 : United States ....: 68 56 60 88 107 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 0.1 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 11.4 million head by more than 0.1 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 0.2 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 9,000 head, ranging from 0 to 30,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has been above the latest estimate 8 times and has been below the latest estimate 10 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 ...............: 0.1 0.2 9 0 30 10 8 : Placements ...................: 0.3 0.6 3 0 20 11 5 : Marketings ...................: 0.3 0.5 3 0 21 8 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 Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (515) 284-4340 Doug Bounds - Hogs and Pigs .................. (202) 720-3106 Vacant - Dairy Products Prices ............... (202) 690-2168 Jason Hardegree - Cattle, Cattle on Feed ..... (202) 720-3040 Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278 Everett Olbert - Sheep and Goats ............. (202) 720-4751 Lorie Warren - Dairy Products ................ (202) 690-3236 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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