March 24, 2014

US cattle on feed number down 1% in March

As of March 1, US cattle and calves on feed for slaughter for feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or more totalled 10.8 million head, 1% below the year-ago total, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported.

During February, feedlot placements advanced 15% to 1.65 million, NASS reported. Net placements totalled 1.58 million head. For February, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 390,000, 600-699 pounds were 330,000, 700-799 pounds were 415,000 and 800 pounds and greater were 515,000.

NASS said marketings of fed cattle declined 3% during February to 1.55 million. Marketings for February are the lowest for the month since the data series began in 1996, NASS noted. Other disappearance jumped 18% to 71,000 during February.