Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released October 22, 2010, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). U.S. 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 10.8 million head on October 1, 2010. The inventory was 3 percent above October 1, 2009. The inventory included 6.60 million steers and steer calves, up 3 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 61 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.12 million head, also up 3 percent from 2009. Placements in feedlots during September totaled 2.46 million, 3 percent above 2009. Net placements were 2.41 million head. During September, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 510,000, 600-699 pounds were 455,000, 700-799 pounds were 602,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 895,000. Marketings of fed cattle during September totaled 1.80 million, 2 percent above 2009. Other disappearance totaled 54,000 during September, 15 percent above 2009. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: October 1, 2009 and 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed September 1 .................: 9,900 10,173 103 Placed on feed during September .....: 2,388 2,462 103 Fed cattle marketed during September : 1,767 1,802 102 Other disappearance during September : 47 54 115 On feed October 1 ...................: 10,474 10,779 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 on Feed by Class on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: October 1, 2009 and 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 Head --- percent : Class on Feed October 1 : Steers and Steer Calves ...........: 6,416 6,601 103 Heifers and Heifer Calves .........: 4,012 4,123 103 Cows and Bulls ....................: 46 55 120 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : October 1, 2010 : : :----------------------------------------- State : October 1, 2009 :September 1, 2010: : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 head ------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 275 240 240 87 100 California .....: 465 435 445 96 102 Colorado .......: 960 890 1,000 104 112 Idaho ..........: 205 185 200 98 108 Iowa ...........: 520 560 570 110 102 Kansas .........: 2,220 2,200 2,330 105 106 Nebraska .......: 2,170 2,050 2,220 102 108 Oklahoma .......: 355 355 370 104 104 South Dakota ...: 195 195 205 105 105 Texas ..........: 2,600 2,550 2,640 102 104 Washington .....: 147 167 177 120 106 : Other States ...: 362 346 382 106 110 : United States ..: 10,474 10,173 10,779 103 106 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During September 2010 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :September 2009: August 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 27 20 22 81 110 California .......: 56 55 55 98 100 Colorado .........: 260 190 295 113 155 Idaho ............: 53 46 57 108 124 Iowa .............: 105 93 122 116 131 Kansas ...........: 510 610 510 100 84 Nebraska .........: 550 480 540 98 113 Oklahoma .........: 80 81 87 109 107 South Dakota .....: 52 45 57 110 127 Texas ............: 570 540 580 102 107 Washington .......: 35 41 44 126 107 : Other States .....: 90 69 93 103 135 : United States ....: 2,388 2,270 2,462 103 108 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : During September :--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 35 25 35 65 65 150 160 260 295 Kansas .......: 85 75 115 110 155 160 155 165 510 510 Nebraska .....: 65 75 90 80 120 130 275 255 550 540 Texas ........: 175 190 160 165 160 145 75 80 570 580 : Other States .: 145 135 60 65 93 102 200 235 498 537 : United States : 490 510 450 455 593 602 855 895 2,388 2,462 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During September 2010 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :September 2009: August 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 26 27 21 81 78 California .......: 44 52 43 98 83 Colorado .........: 155 185 180 116 97 Idaho ............: 42 45 41 98 91 Iowa .............: 94 91 108 115 119 Kansas ...........: 330 440 370 112 84 Nebraska .........: 395 380 360 91 95 Oklahoma .........: 48 60 71 148 118 South Dakota .....: 41 49 45 110 92 Texas ............: 485 500 475 98 95 Washington .......: 27 34 33 122 97 : Other States .....: 80 60 55 69 92 : United States ....: 1,767 1,923 1,802 102 94 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During September 2010 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :September 2009: August 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 1 1 1 100 100 California .......: 2 3 2 100 67 Colorado .........: 5 5 5 100 100 Idaho ............: 1 1 1 100 100 Iowa .............: 1 2 4 400 200 Kansas ...........: 10 10 10 100 100 Nebraska .........: 5 10 10 200 100 Oklahoma .........: 2 1 1 50 100 South Dakota .....: 1 1 2 200 200 Texas ............: 15 10 15 100 150 Washington .......: 1 1 1 100 100 : Other States .....: 3 2 2 67 100 : United States ....: 47 47 54 115 115 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number on Feed by Class on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Quarter - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Steers and Steer Calves :Heifers and Heifer Calves : Cows and Bulls :----------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : Oct 1, : Jul 1, : Oct 1, : Oct 1, : Jul 1, : Oct 1, :Oct 1, :Jul 1, :Oct 1, : 2009 : 2010 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2010 : 2009 : 2010 : 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Head : Arizona ......: 272 254 239 1 1 1 2 0 0 California ...: 410 425 355 55 5 90 0 0 0 Colorado .....: 650 635 705 305 280 290 5 5 5 Idaho ........: 113 115 116 91 77 78 1 8 6 Iowa .........: 365 400 395 155 170 175 0 0 0 Kansas .......: 1,210 1,030 1,230 1,005 970 1,090 5 10 10 Nebraska .....: 1,240 1,210 1,340 915 785 865 15 5 15 Oklahoma .....: 215 185 205 140 165 165 0 0 0 South Dakota .: 100 106 97 81 91 92 14 18 16 Texas ........: 1,520 1,550 1,560 1,079 1,039 1,079 1 1 1 Washington ...: 87 97 105 59 69 71 1 1 1 : Other States .: 234 247 254 126 114 127 2 2 1 : United States : 6,416 6,254 6,601 4,012 3,766 4,123 46 50 55 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 10.8 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 Lorie Warren - 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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