Mt An 2-1 (8-09) Cattle on Feed National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released August 21, 2009, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Cattle on Feed" call Jason Hardegree at (202) 720-3040, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. U.S. Cattle on Feed Down 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 9.6 million head on August 1, 2009. The inventory was 2 percent below August 1, 2008. Placements in feedlots during July totaled 1.86 million, 13 percent above 2008. Net placements were 1.82 million head. During July, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 455,000, 600-699 pounds were 365,000, 700-799 pounds were 458,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 585,000. Marketings of fed cattle during July totaled 1.93 million, 5 percent below 2008. This is the third lowest marketings for the month of July since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 43,000 during July, 4 percent below 2008. This is the lowest other disappearance for the month of July since the series began in 1996. Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, United States, August 1, 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : 2009 as % Item :---------------------------------------- : 2008 : 2009 : of 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 Head ---- Percent : On Feed Jul 1 : 10,295 9,752 95 Placed on Feed During Jul : 1,656 1,863 113 Fed Cattle Marketed During Jul : 2,037 1,928 95 Other Disappearance During Jul : 45 43 96 On Feed Aug 1 : 9,869 9,644 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, United States, July 1, 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : 2009 as % Item :---------------------------------------- : 2008 : 2009 : of 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 Head ---- Percent : On Feed Jun 1 : 10,815 10,407 96 Placed on Feed During Jun : 1,518 1,391 92 Fed Cattle Marketed During Jun : 1,978 1,989 101 Other Disappearance During Jun : 60 57 95 On Feed Jul 1 : 10,295 9,752 95 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed: Number on Feed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : Aug 1, 2009 : : :------------------------------------------ State : Aug 1, 2008 : Jul 1, 2009 : : as % of : as % of : : : Number : 2008 : Jul -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 Head ----------- ---- Percent ---- : AZ : 357 287 275 77 96 CA : 515 460 450 87 98 CO : 750 910 850 113 93 ID : 180 200 195 108 98 IA : 475 520 510 107 98 KS : 2,010 1,920 1,920 96 100 NE : 1,920 1,920 1,920 100 100 NM : 164 94 86 52 91 OK : 290 295 310 107 105 SD : 170 205 190 112 93 TX : 2,590 2,490 2,510 97 101 WA : 133 146 138 104 95 : Oth Sts: 315 305 290 92 95 : US : 9,869 9,752 9,644 98 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed: Number Placed on Feed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During Jul 2009 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : Jul 2008 : Jun 2009 : : as % of : as % of : : : Number : 2008 : Jun -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 Head ----------- ---- Percent ---- : AZ : 37 21 25 68 119 CA : 45 43 45 100 105 CO : 110 125 125 114 100 ID : 29 32 33 114 103 IA : 51 59 61 120 103 KS : 430 305 480 112 157 NE : 320 270 410 128 152 NM : 32 17 13 41 76 OK : 46 44 69 150 157 SD : 21 25 29 138 116 TX : 460 380 495 108 130 WA : 32 30 33 103 110 : Oth Sts: 43 40 45 105 113 : US : 1,656 1,391 1,863 113 134 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed: Number Placed on Feed by Weight Group, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States, 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During July :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State : Under 600 : 600-699 : 700-799 : 800 Plus : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Head : CO : 15 15 20 15 35 35 40 60 110 125 KS : 70 80 85 90 155 150 120 160 430 480 NE : 40 60 50 80 90 95 140 175 320 410 TX : 130 200 110 125 130 105 90 65 460 495 : Oth Sts : 105 100 50 55 71 73 110 125 336 353 : US : 360 455 315 365 481 458 500 585 1,656 1,863 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During June :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : Under 600 : 600-699 : 700-799 : 800 Plus : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 : 2008 : 2009 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Head : CO : 20 15 10 20 25 35 30 55 85 125 KS : 60 55 75 70 100 95 95 85 330 305 NE : 40 50 40 55 70 55 140 110 290 270 TX : 135 110 140 95 120 125 65 50 460 380 : Oth Sts : 110 85 60 50 68 61 115 115 353 311 : US : 365 315 325 290 383 371 445 415 1,518 1,391 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed: Number Marketed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During Jul 2009 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : Jul 2008 : Jun 2009 : : as % of : as % of : : : Number : 2008 : Jun -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 Head ----------- ---- Percent ---- : AZ : 35 34 36 103 106 CA : 48 51 53 110 104 CO : 175 190 180 103 95 ID : 48 36 37 77 103 IA : 75 67 70 93 104 KS : 490 455 470 96 103 NE : 440 440 400 91 91 NM : 21 27 18 86 67 OK : 55 58 52 95 90 SD : 35 39 43 123 110 TX : 520 490 470 90 96 WA : 38 39 40 105 103 : Oth Sts: 57 63 59 104 94 : US : 2,037 1,989 1,928 95 97 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed: Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States 2008-2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During Jul 2009 : During : During :------------------------------------------ State : Jul 2008 : Jun 2009 : : as % of : as % of : : : Number : 2008 : Jun -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 Head ---------- ---- Percent ---- : AZ : 1 1 1 100 100 CA : 2 2 2 100 100 CO : 5 5 5 100 100 ID : 1 1 1 100 100 IA : 1 2 1 100 50 KS : 10 10 10 100 100 NE : 10 20 10 100 50 NM : 1 1 3 300 300 OK : 1 1 2 200 200 SD : 1 1 1 100 100 TX : 10 10 5 50 50 WA : 1 1 1 100 100 : Oth Sts: 1 2 1 100 50 : US : 45 57 43 96 75 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 U.S. 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. 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 setting 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 following table. 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 less than 0.1 percent (0.04). This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 9.6 million head by more than 0.04 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 0.1 percent. The following table also 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 2,000 head, ranging from 0 to 18,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has been above the final estimate 1 time and has been below the final estimate 5 times. This does not imply that the initial estimate is likely to understate or overstate final inventory. Reliability of Monthly Cattle on Feed Estimates 1/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : 90% : Difference Between : : : Confidence : First and Final : Number of : Root : Level : Estimates : Months Item : Mean :--------------------------------------------------------- : Square : : : : : : First : First : Error :Percent: (000) :Average:Smallest:Largest: Above : Below : : : Head : : : : Final : Final -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent -------- 1,000 Head -------- Number : Number on : Feed : 0.0 0.1 9.6 2 0 18 1 5 : Placements : 0.2 0.3 5.6 2 0 10 2 6 : Marketings : 0.2 0.3 5.8 1 0 10 4 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Based on data for the past 24 months. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch......................................(202) 720-3570 Livestock Section 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 REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge. 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