Cattle on feed
ISSN: 1948-9080
Released August 21, 2015, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA).
Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for
feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.0 million head on
August 1, 2015. The inventory was 3 percent above August 1, 2014.
Placements in feedlots during July totaled 1.55 million head, 1 percent below
2014. Net placements were 1.49 million head. During July, placements of
cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 365,000 head, 600-699
pounds were 235,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 327,000 head, and 800 pounds
and greater were 620,000 head. Placements are the lowest for July since the
series began in 1996.
Marketings of fed cattle during July totaled 1.73 million head, 3 percent
below 2014. Marketings are the lowest for July since the series began in
1996.
Other disappearance totaled 56,000 head during July, 11 percent below 2014.
Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on
1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: August 1, 2014 and 2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Number : Percent of
Item :---------------------------:
: 2014 : 2015 :previous year
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ---- 1,000 head ---- percent
:
On feed July 1 .........................: 10,043 10,236 102
Placed on feed during July .............: 1,559 1,547 99
Fed cattle marketed during July ........: 1,787 1,725 97
Other disappearance during July ........: 63 56 89
On feed August 1 .......................: 9,752 10,002 103
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on
1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: July 1, 2014 and 2015
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Number : Percent of
Item :---------------------------:
: 2014 : 2015 :previous year
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ---- 1,000 head ---- percent
:
On feed June 1 .........................: 10,497 10,571 101
Placed on feed during June .............: 1,468 1,481 101
Fed cattle marketed during June ........: 1,847 1,747 95
Other disappearance during June ........: 75 69 92
On feed July 1 .........................: 10,043 10,236 102
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States:
2014 and 2015
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: : : August 1, 2015
: : :--------------------------------------------
State : August 1, 2014 : July 1, 2015 : : Percent of : Percent of
: : : Number :previous year :previous month
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: -------------- 1,000 head -------------- ----- percent ----
:
Arizona ..........: 262 240 239 91 100
California .......: 420 460 455 108 99
Colorado .........: 790 830 790 100 95
Idaho ............: 175 225 220 126 98
Iowa .............: 600 640 630 105 98
Kansas ...........: 1,900 1,940 1,930 102 99
Minnesota ........: 115 141 133 116 94
Nebraska .........: 2,140 2,280 2,200 103 96
Oklahoma .........: 240 260 250 104 96
South Dakota .....: 175 230 210 120 91
Texas ............: 2,470 2,480 2,440 99 98
Washington .......: 170 215 210 124 98
:
Other States .....: 295 295 295 100 100
:
United States ....: 9,752 10,236 10,002 103 98
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and
United States: 2014 and 2015
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: : : During July 2015
: During : During :--------------------------------------------
State : July 2014 : June 2015 : : Percent of : Percent of
: : : Number :previous year :previous month
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ----
:
Arizona ..........: 23 28 23 100 82
California .......: 39 45 41 105 91
Colorado .........: 90 80 90 100 113
Idaho ............: 37 31 37 100 119
Iowa .............: 56 67 71 127 106
Kansas ...........: 400 335 395 99 118
Minnesota ........: 10 17 11 110 65
Nebraska .........: 375 375 390 104 104
Oklahoma .........: 32 38 38 119 100
South Dakota .....: 20 28 17 85 61
Texas ............: 410 375 365 89 97
Washington .......: 36 30 34 94 113
:
Other States .....: 31 32 35 113 109
:
United States ....: 1,559 1,481 1,547 99 104
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month -
States and United States: 2014 and 2015
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: During July
:---------------------------------------------------------------------
State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total
:---------------------------------------------------------------------
: 2014 : 2015 : 2014 : 2015 : 2014 : 2015 : 2014 : 2015 : 2014 : 2015
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 head
:
Colorado .........: 25 20 15 15 20 15 30 40 90 90
Kansas ...........: 80 65 70 70 110 115 140 145 400 395
Nebraska .........: 55 40 50 50 85 85 185 215 375 390
Texas ............: 185 155 85 70 85 65 55 75 410 365
:
Other States .....: 80 85 40 30 54 47 110 145 284 307
:
United States ....: 425 365 260 235 354 327 520 620 1,559 1,547
:---------------------------------------------------------------------
: During June
:---------------------------------------------------------------------
State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total
:---------------------------------------------------------------------
: 2014 : 2015 : 2014 : 2015 : 2014 : 2015 : 2014 : 2015 : 2014 : 2015
:---------------------------------------------------------------------
: 1,000 head
:
Colorado .........: 30 20 15 15 20 15 30 30 95 80
Kansas ...........: 65 60 60 65 80 95 110 115 315 335
Nebraska .........: 55 50 50 50 90 75 190 200 385 375
Texas ............: 155 125 75 80 85 95 55 75 370 375
:
Other States .....: 100 95 45 40 53 56 105 125 303 316
:
United States ....: 405 350 245 250 328 336 490 545 1,468 1,481
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States:
2014 and 2015
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: : : During July 2015
: During : During :--------------------------------------------
State : July 2014 : June 2015 : : Percent of : Percent of
: : : Number :previous year :previous month
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ----
:
Arizona ..........: 26 25 22 85 88
California .......: 47 40 41 87 103
Colorado .........: 145 125 125 86 100
Idaho ............: 41 40 41 100 103
Iowa .............: 74 76 80 108 105
Kansas ...........: 390 400 395 101 99
Minnesota ........: 15 18 18 120 100
Nebraska .........: 465 480 455 98 95
Oklahoma .........: 46 52 47 102 90
South Dakota .....: 39 26 34 87 131
Texas ............: 415 385 395 95 103
Washington .......: 40 44 38 95 86
:
Other States .....: 44 36 34 77 94
:
United States ....: 1,787 1,747 1,725 97 99
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States:
2014 and 2015
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: : : During July 2015
: During : During :--------------------------------------------
State : July 2014 : June 2015 : : Percent of : Percent of
: : : Number :previous year :previous month
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ----
:
Arizona ..........: 7 1 2 29 200
California .......: 7 5 5 71 100
Colorado .........: 5 15 5 100 33
Idaho ............: 1 1 1 100 100
Iowa .............: 2 1 1 50 100
Kansas ...........: 10 15 10 100 67
Minnesota ........: 1 1 1 100 100
Nebraska .........: 10 15 15 150 100
Oklahoma .........: 1 1 1 100 100
South Dakota .....: 1 2 3 300 150
Texas ............: 15 10 10 67 100
Washington .......: 1 1 1 100 100
:
Other States .....: 2 1 1 50 100
:
United States ....: 63 69 56 89 81
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terms and Definitions of Cattle on Feed Estimates
Cattle on feed are steers and heifers 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 steers and heifers 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 steers and heifers 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 approximately 98 percent of
the cattle on feed in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head.
Individual State estimates are published monthly for 12 of the 16 States.
Data collected from the remaining 4 States are used to establish the "Other
States" estimates. These 4 States include Illinois, 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 0.6 percent. This means that chances are
2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current
estimate of 10.0 million head by more than 0.6 percent. Chances are 9 out of
10 that the difference will not exceed 1.0 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 50,000 head,
ranging from 0 to 97,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has
been above the latest estimate 17 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 ...............: 0.6 1.0 50 0 97 4 17
:
Placements ...................: 0.9 1.5 11 0 37 11 10
:
Marketings ...................: 0.5 0.9 4 0 30 0 5
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
[email protected].
Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch ........... (202) 720-3570
Scott Hollis, Head, Livestock Section ........... (202) 690-2424
Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (202) 720-3240
Doug Bounds - Hogs and Pigs .................. (202) 720-3106
Donnie Fike - Dairy Products ................. (202) 690-3236
Michael Klamm - Cattle, Cattle on Feed ....... (202) 720-3040
Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278
Vacant - Sheep and Goats ..................... (202) 720-3570
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