Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released September 17, 2010, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). United States 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 10.2 million head on September 1, 2010. The inventory was 3 percent above September 1, 2009. Placements in feedlots during August totaled 2.27 million, 7 percent above 2009. Net placements were 2.22 million head. During August, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 495,000, 600-699 pounds were 395,000, 700-799 pounds were 565,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 815,000. Marketings of fed cattle during August totaled 1.92 million, 7 percent above 2009. Other disappearance totaled 47,000 during August, 16 percent below 2009. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: September 1, 2009 and 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head --- percent : On feed August 1 ....................: 9,637 9,873 102 Placed on feed during August ........: 2,119 2,270 107 Fed cattle marketed during August ...: 1,800 1,923 107 Other disappearance during August ...: 56 47 84 On feed September 1 .................: 9,900 10,173 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: August 1, 2009 and 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head --- percent : On feed July 1 ......................: 9,752 10,070 103 Placed on feed during July ..........: 1,863 1,754 94 Fed cattle marketed during July .....: 1,935 1,903 98 Other disappearance during July .....: 43 48 112 On feed August 1 ....................: 9,637 9,873 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : September 1, 2010 : : :----------------------------------------- State :September 1, 2009: August 1, 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------- 1,000 head ------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 275 248 240 87 97 California .....: 455 435 435 96 100 Colorado .......: 860 890 890 103 100 Idaho ..........: 195 185 185 95 100 Iowa ...........: 510 560 560 110 100 Kansas .........: 2,050 2,040 2,200 107 108 Nebraska .......: 2,020 1,960 2,050 101 105 Oklahoma .......: 325 335 355 109 106 South Dakota ...: 185 200 195 105 98 Texas ..........: 2,530 2,520 2,550 101 101 Washington .....: 140 161 167 119 104 : Other States ...: 355 339 346 97 102 : United States ..: 9,900 9,873 10,173 103 103 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During August 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : August 2009 : July 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 28 21 20 71 95 California .....: 53 51 55 104 108 Colorado .......: 205 140 190 93 136 Idaho ..........: 42 31 46 110 148 Iowa ...........: 74 69 93 126 135 Kansas .........: 550 500 610 111 122 Nebraska .......: 460 370 480 104 130 Oklahoma .......: 73 49 81 111 165 South Dakota ...: 36 33 45 125 136 Texas ..........: 510 410 540 106 132 Washington .....: 31 33 41 132 124 : Other States ...: 57 47 69 121 147 : United States ..: 2,119 1,754 2,270 107 129 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : During August :--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 .....: 15 25 20 20 50 55 120 90 205 190 Kansas .......: 60 90 100 115 175 200 215 205 550 610 Nebraska .....: 60 55 80 80 100 100 220 245 460 480 Texas ........: 200 215 140 120 110 120 60 85 510 540 : Other States .: 100 110 55 60 79 90 160 190 394 450 : United States : 435 495 395 395 514 565 775 815 2,119 2,270 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During July :--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 .....: 15 15 15 20 35 40 60 65 125 140 Kansas .......: 80 75 90 90 150 165 160 170 480 500 Nebraska .....: 60 50 80 70 95 90 175 160 410 370 Texas ........: 200 190 125 75 105 85 65 60 495 410 : Other States .: 100 85 55 50 73 69 125 130 353 334 : United States : 455 415 365 305 458 449 585 585 1,863 1,754 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During August 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : August 2009 : July 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 27 27 27 100 100 California .....: 46 43 52 113 121 Colorado .......: 190 165 185 97 112 Idaho ..........: 40 45 45 113 100 Iowa ...........: 73 77 91 125 118 Kansas .........: 405 460 440 109 96 Nebraska .......: 350 400 380 109 95 Oklahoma .......: 56 63 60 107 95 South Dakota ...: 40 47 49 123 104 Texas ..........: 480 470 500 104 106 Washington .....: 28 38 34 121 89 : Other States ...: 65 68 60 92 88 : United States ..: 1,800 1,903 1,923 107 101 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During August 2010 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : August 2009 : July 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : --------- 1,000 head --------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 1 1 1 100 100 California .....: 2 3 3 150 100 Colorado .......: 5 5 5 100 100 Idaho ..........: 2 1 1 50 100 Iowa ...........: 1 2 2 200 100 Kansas .........: 15 10 10 67 100 Nebraska .......: 10 10 10 100 100 Oklahoma .......: 2 1 1 50 100 South Dakota ...: 1 1 1 100 100 Texas ..........: 10 10 10 100 100 Washington .....: 1 1 1 100 100 : Other States ...: 6 3 2 33 67 : United States ..: 56 48 47 84 98 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 IL, MN, NM, OR, and WY. 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 0.05 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 10.2 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 latest estimate 6 times and has been below the latest estimate 4 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 : : : : : : Years : : : : : :------------------------------- : : : Average :Smallest : Largest : Below latest : Above latest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent percent ------- 1,000 ------- ----- number ---- : Number on feed ...............: 0.05 0.10 3 0 18 4 6 : Placements ...................: 0.16 0.30 1 0 9 4 4 : Marketings ...................: 0.29 0.50 2 0 21 7 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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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