January 25, 2011

US cattle on feed increases

The US butcher market consisting of US cattle and calves on feed for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head saw 11.5 million head in total on January 1, 2011.

The inventory was 5% above January 1, 2010. The inventory included 7.18 million steers and steer calves, up 4% from the previous year. This group accounted for 62% of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.26 million head, up 5% from 2010.

Placements in feedlots during December totalled 1.80 million, 16% above 2009. Net placements were 1.73 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 480,000, 600-699 pounds were 495,000, and 700 to 799 pounds were 440,000 and 800 pounds and greater were 380,000.

Marketing of fed cattle during December totalled 1.83 million, 5% above 2009. This is the second highest fed cattle marketing for the month of December since the series began in 1996.

Other disappearance totalled 65,000 during December, 10% below 2009.