May 27, 2009

South Dakota's large feedlots held 230,000 cattle on feed for slaughter as of May 1, up 10,000 head from a year ago and up 5,000 head from the previous month, the USDA said.

The figures derived from feedlots containing at least 1,000 cattle.

Placements during April totalled 39,000 head, up 6,000 head from the previous year but down 7,000 head from the previous month, said the South Dakota office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service.

The agency said 33,000 fed cattle were marketed in April, down 4,000 head from a year ago but down 11,000 head from the previous month.