Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released December 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 11.6 million head on December 1, 2010. The inventory was 3 percent above December 1, 2009. Placements in feedlots during November totaled 1.96 million, 6 percent above 2009. Net placements were 1.90 million head. During November, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 625,000, 600-699 pounds were 590,000, 700-799 pounds were 373,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 370,000. Marketings of fed cattle during November totaled 1.77 million, 9 percent above 2009. Other disappearance totaled 62,000 during November, 6 percent below 2009. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: December 1, 2009 and 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed November 1 ..................: 11,134 11,487 103 Placed on feed during November ......: 1,844 1,958 106 Fed cattle marketed during November .: 1,635 1,774 109 Other disappearance during November .: 66 62 94 On feed December 1 ..................: 11,277 11,609 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: November 1, 2009 and 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2009 : 2010 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed October 1 ...................: 10,474 10,779 103 Placed on feed during October .......: 2,474 2,504 101 Fed cattle marketed during October ..: 1,755 1,734 99 Other disappearance during October ..: 59 62 105 On feed November 1 ..................: 11,134 11,487 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : December 1, 2010 : : :----------------------------------------- State :December 1, 2009 :November 1, 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 head ------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 282 251 249 88 99 California .....: 465 460 470 101 102 Colorado .......: 1,060 1,090 1,090 103 100 Idaho ..........: 210 215 230 110 107 Iowa ...........: 560 610 630 113 103 Kansas .........: 2,330 2,400 2,360 101 98 Nebraska .......: 2,410 2,420 2,460 102 102 Oklahoma .......: 375 385 380 101 99 South Dakota ...: 235 230 255 109 111 Texas ..........: 2,760 2,820 2,840 103 101 Washington .....: 172 192 208 121 108 : Other States ...: 418 414 437 105 106 : United States ..: 11,277 11,487 11,609 103 101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During November 2010 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :November 2009 : October 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 26 32 22 85 69 California .......: 50 65 69 138 106 Colorado .........: 165 270 155 94 57 Idaho ............: 44 53 52 118 98 Iowa .............: 108 142 114 106 80 Kansas ...........: 355 435 375 106 86 Nebraska .........: 400 580 445 111 77 Oklahoma .........: 57 80 60 105 75 South Dakota .....: 67 70 62 93 89 Texas ............: 455 640 475 104 74 Washington .......: 47 52 53 113 102 : Other States .....: 70 85 76 109 89 : United States ....: 1,844 2,504 1,958 106 78 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : During November :--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 .....: 40 45 50 40 35 30 40 40 165 155 Kansas .......: 70 80 105 105 110 120 70 70 355 375 Nebraska .....: 80 110 140 160 80 65 100 110 400 445 Texas ........: 160 195 140 145 100 85 55 50 455 475 : Other States .: 160 195 130 140 69 73 110 100 469 508 : United States : 510 625 565 590 394 373 375 370 1,844 1,958 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During October :--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 .....: 50 55 45 55 60 60 90 100 245 270 Kansas .......: 85 90 120 115 150 125 110 105 465 435 Nebraska .....: 160 170 175 160 95 90 190 160 620 580 Texas ........: 150 220 180 190 180 145 100 85 610 640 : Other States .: 170 190 125 120 94 94 145 175 534 579 : United States : 615 725 645 640 579 514 635 625 2,474 2,504 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During November 2010 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :November 2009 : October 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 22 20 23 105 115 California .......: 53 48 55 104 115 Colorado .........: 140 170 150 107 88 Idaho ............: 43 37 35 81 95 Iowa .............: 85 100 90 106 90 Kansas ...........: 340 350 400 118 114 Nebraska .........: 380 370 395 104 107 Oklahoma .........: 53 63 63 119 100 South Dakota .....: 35 44 36 103 82 Texas ............: 405 445 440 109 99 Washington .......: 29 36 36 124 100 : Other States .....: 50 51 51 102 100 : United States ....: 1,635 1,734 1,774 109 102 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2009 and 2010 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During November 2010 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :November 2009 : October 2010 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 1 1 1 100 100 California .......: 2 2 4 200 200 Colorado .........: 5 10 5 100 50 Idaho ............: 1 1 2 200 200 Iowa .............: 3 2 4 133 200 Kansas ...........: 15 15 15 100 100 Nebraska .........: 10 10 10 100 100 Oklahoma .........: 4 2 2 50 100 South Dakota .....: 2 1 1 50 100 Texas ............: 20 15 15 75 100 Washington .......: 1 1 1 100 100 : Other States .....: 2 2 2 100 100 : United States ....: 66 62 62 94 100 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 11.6 million head by more than 0.05 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 0.09 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 : : : : : : Months : : : : : :------------------------------- : : : Average :Smallest : Largest : Below latest : Above latest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : percent percent ------- 1,000 ------- ----- number ---- : Number on feed ...............: 0.05 0.09 3 0 18 4 6 : Placements ...................: 0.16 0.28 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 Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter (515) 284-4340 Joe Gaynor - 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 Nick Streff - Hogs and Pigs (202) 720-3106 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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