Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released May 20, 2011, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). United States Cattle on Feed Up 7 Percent Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.2 million head on May 1, 2011. The inventory was 7 percent above May 1, 2010. Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.80 million, 10 percent above 2010. This is the second highest placements for the month of April since the series began in 1996. Net placements were 1.74 million head. During April, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 450,000, 600-699 pounds were 310,000, 700-799 pounds were 490,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 545,000. Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.81 million, 3 percent below 2010. Other disappearance totaled 59,000 during April, 35 percent below 2010. This is the lowest other disappearance for the month of April since the series began in 1996. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: May 1, 2010 and 2011 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2010 : 2011 :previous year -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed April 1 .....................: 10,742 11,271 105 Placed on feed during April .........: 1,634 1,795 110 Fed cattle marketed during April ....: 1,857 1,807 97 Other disappearance during April ....: 91 59 65 On feed May 1 .......................: 10,428 11,200 107 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: April 1, 2010 and 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2010 : 2011 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed March 1 ........................: 10,849 11,399 105 Placed on feed during March ............: 1,856 1,914 103 Fed cattle marketed during March .......: 1,903 1,990 105 Other disappearance during March .......: 60 52 87 On feed April 1 ........................: 10,742 11,271 105 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : May 1, 2011 : : :----------------------------------------- State : May 1, 2010 : April 1, 2011 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- 1,000 head ------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ........: 268 276 282 105 102 California .....: 410 450 450 110 100 Colorado .......: 940 1,090 1,100 117 101 Idaho ..........: 210 220 230 110 105 Iowa ...........: 600 650 640 107 98 Kansas .........: 2,130 2,190 2,170 102 99 Nebraska .......: 2,240 2,380 2,370 106 100 Oklahoma .......: 325 355 355 109 100 South Dakota ...: 235 265 255 109 96 Texas ..........: 2,510 2,780 2,750 110 99 Washington .....: 175 211 205 117 97 : Other States ...: 385 404 393 102 97 : United States ..: 10,428 11,271 11,200 107 99 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During April 2011 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : April 2010 : March 2011 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 16 33 25 156 76 California .......: 54 48 57 106 119 Colorado .........: 170 215 165 97 77 Idaho ............: 27 35 34 126 97 Iowa .............: 76 81 69 91 85 Kansas ...........: 315 415 380 121 92 Nebraska .........: 400 390 370 93 95 Oklahoma .........: 57 75 76 133 101 South Dakota .....: 39 46 31 79 67 Texas ............: 400 490 510 128 104 Washington .......: 29 33 28 97 85 : Other States .....: 51 53 50 98 94 : United States ....: 1,634 1,914 1,795 110 94 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : During April :--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 .....: 30 35 35 30 45 45 60 55 170 165 Kansas .......: 55 60 60 60 100 130 100 130 315 380 Nebraska .....: 70 60 70 60 120 100 140 150 400 370 Texas ........: 115 195 85 95 120 125 80 95 400 510 : Other States .: 95 100 55 65 84 90 115 115 349 370 : United States : 365 450 305 310 469 490 495 545 1,634 1,795 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During March :--------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 .....: 30 40 40 35 70 70 45 70 185 215 Kansas .......: 70 55 90 70 165 145 115 145 440 415 Nebraska .....: 60 60 70 70 120 120 130 140 380 390 Texas ........: 145 135 125 110 150 150 70 95 490 490 : Other States .: 90 90 50 75 96 104 125 135 361 404 : United States : 395 380 375 360 601 589 485 585 1,856 1,914 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During April 2011 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : April 2010 : March 2011 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 24 25 18 75 72 California .......: 54 55 55 102 100 Colorado .........: 145 190 150 103 79 Idaho ............: 21 34 23 110 68 Iowa .............: 72 78 76 106 97 Kansas ...........: 405 435 385 95 89 Nebraska .........: 435 430 370 85 86 Oklahoma .........: 70 78 74 106 95 South Dakota .....: 38 44 39 103 89 Texas ............: 510 540 530 104 98 Washington .......: 24 28 33 138 118 : Other States .....: 59 53 54 92 102 : United States ....: 1,857 1,990 1,807 97 91 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2010 and 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During April 2011 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : April 2010 : March 2011 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 2 1 1 50 100 California .......: 5 3 2 40 67 Colorado .........: 15 5 5 33 100 Idaho ............: 1 1 1 100 100 Iowa .............: 4 3 3 75 100 Kansas ...........: 20 10 15 75 150 Nebraska .........: 15 10 10 67 100 Oklahoma .........: 2 2 2 100 100 South Dakota .....: 1 2 2 200 100 Texas ............: 20 10 10 50 100 Washington .......: 1 2 1 100 50 : Other States .....: 5 3 7 140 233 : United States ....: 91 52 59 65 113 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 11.2 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 9 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 9 : Placements ...................: 0.3 0.6 3 0 20 11 6 : Marketings ...................: 0.3 0.5 3 0 21 9 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 Travis Averill - Dairy Products Prices ....... (202) 690-2168 Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (515) 284-4340 Doug Bounds - Hogs and Pigs .................. (202) 720-3106 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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