US cattle on feed down 2% in December

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the US for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totalled 11 million head on January 1, 2010.

The inventory was 2% below January 1, 2009. The inventory included 6.88 million steers and steer calves, down 3% from the previous year. This group accounted for 62% of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.07 million head, down 1% from 2009.

Placements in feedlots during December totalled 1.55 million, 6% below 2008. Net placements were 1.47 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 430,000, 600-699 pounds were 420,000, 700-799 pounds were 401,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 295,000.

Marketings of fed cattle during December totalled 1.74 million, 4% above 2008.

Other disappearance totalled 72,000 during December, 5% below 2008.