Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released February 22, 2019, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 Percent Cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.7 million head on January 1, 2019. The inventory was 2 percent above January 1, 2018. The inventory included 7.28 million steers and steer calves, down 1 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 62 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.41 million head, up 6 percent from 2018. Placements in feedlots during December totaled 1.77 million head, 2 percent below 2018. Net placements were 1.69 million head. During December, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 445,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 460,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 402,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 285,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 90,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 85,000 head. Marketings of fed cattle during December totaled 1.74 million head, 1 percent below 2017. Other disappearance totaled 75,000 head during December, 1 percent above 2017. Cattle on Feed Inventory, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: January 1, 2018 and 2019 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2018 : 2019 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed December 1 .....................: 11,516 11,739 102 Placed on feed during December .........: 1,799 1,767 98 Fed cattle marketed during December ....: 1,752 1,741 99 Other disappearance during December ....: 74 75 101 On feed January 1 ......................: 11,489 11,690 102 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed Inventory, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: December 1, 2017 and 2018 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2017 : 2018 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed November 1 .....................: 11,332 11,692 103 Placed on feed during November .........: 2,099 1,996 95 Fed cattle marketed during November ....: 1,844 1,869 101 Other disappearance during November ....: 71 80 113 On feed December 1 .....................: 11,516 11,739 102 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed by Class on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: January 1, 2018 and 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :--------------------------------------------------------- : 2018 : 2019 :previous year : inventory -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 Head --- percent percent : Class on feed January 1 : Steers and steer calves ..............: 7,335 7,280 99 62 Heifers and heifer calves ............: 4,154 4,410 106 38 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed Inventory on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2018 and 2019 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : January 1, 2019 : : :-------------------------------------------- State : January 1, 2018 :December 1, 2018 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : --------------- 1,000 head -------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 269 289 295 110 102 California .......: 490 535 535 109 100 Colorado .........: 970 1,010 1,010 104 100 Idaho ............: 255 285 280 110 98 Iowa .............: 700 700 690 99 99 Kansas ...........: 2,290 2,360 2,330 102 99 Minnesota ........: 160 160 155 97 97 Nebraska .........: 2,610 2,600 2,560 98 98 Oklahoma .........: 315 325 315 100 97 South Dakota .....: 250 240 245 98 102 Texas ............: 2,640 2,680 2,730 103 102 Washington .......: 210 235 225 107 96 : Other States .....: 330 320 320 97 100 : United States ....: 11,489 11,739 11,690 102 100 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2017 and 2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During December 2018 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :December 2017 :November 2018 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 29 30 31 107 103 California .......: 83 72 73 88 101 Colorado .........: 120 140 145 121 104 Idaho ............: 35 59 33 94 56 Iowa .............: 100 106 85 85 80 Kansas ...........: 400 400 395 99 99 Minnesota ........: 21 25 12 57 48 Nebraska .........: 460 520 410 89 79 Oklahoma .........: 54 52 36 67 69 South Dakota .....: 32 47 50 156 106 Texas ............: 385 450 410 106 91 Washington .......: 27 40 27 100 68 : Other States .....: 53 55 60 113 109 : United States ....: 1,799 1,996 1,767 98 89 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots and Month - States and United States: 2017 and 2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During December 2017 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs : 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800-899 lbs : 900+ lbs1/ : 900-999 lbs : 1,000+ lbs : Total --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head : Colorado ......: 30 30 25 20 15 (D) (D) 120 Kansas ........: 55 95 135 75 40 (D) (D) 400 Nebraska ......: 55 105 120 95 85 (D) (D) 460 Texas .........: 165 85 85 35 15 (D) (D) 385 : Other States ..: 165 95 80 54 40 (D) (D) 434 : United States .: 470 410 445 279 (X) 100 95 1,799 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During November 2018 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs : 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800-899 lbs : 900+ lbs 1/ : 900-999 lbs : 1,000+ lbs : Total --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head : Colorado ......: 45 40 25 20 10 (D) (D) 140 Kansas ........: 55 100 120 80 45 (D) (D) 400 Nebraska ......: 100 125 95 90 110 (D) (D) 520 Texas .........: 170 110 105 55 10 (D) (D) 450 : Other States ..: 180 120 71 70 45 (D) (D) 486 : United States .: 550 495 416 315 (X) 115 105 1,996 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During December 2018 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs : 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800-899 lbs : 900+ lbs 1/ : 900-999 lbs : 1,000+ lbs : Total --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head 1,000 head : Colorado ......: 35 40 30 25 15 (D) (D) 145 Kansas ........: 55 95 130 75 40 (D) (D) 395 Nebraska ......: 50 110 90 80 80 (D) (D) 410 Texas .........: 155 105 85 50 15 (D) (D) 410 : Other States ..: 150 110 67 55 25 (D) (D) 407 : United States .: 445 460 402 285 (X) 90 85 1,767 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (D) Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual operations. (X) Not applicable. 1/ The 900 pounds and greater weight group is the sum of 900-999 pounds and 1,000 pounds and greater weight groups. Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2017 and 2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During December 2018 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :December 2017 :November 2018 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 20 27 24 120 89 California .......: 60 54 70 117 130 Colorado .........: 135 145 140 104 97 Idaho ............: 38 41 36 95 88 Iowa .............: 98 104 92 94 88 Kansas ...........: 405 385 410 101 106 Minnesota ........: 15 14 16 107 114 Nebraska .........: 425 490 430 101 88 Oklahoma .........: 52 50 45 87 90 South Dakota .....: 39 44 40 103 91 Texas ............: 385 430 345 90 80 Washington .......: 30 34 36 120 106 : Other States .....: 50 51 57 114 112 : United States ....: 1,752 1,869 1,741 99 93 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2017 and 2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During December 2018 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State :December 2017 :November 2018 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 1 1 1 100 100 California .......: 3 3 3 100 100 Colorado .........: 5 5 5 100 100 Idaho ............: 2 3 2 100 67 Iowa .............: 2 2 3 150 150 Kansas ...........: 15 15 15 100 100 Minnesota ........: 1 1 1 100 100 Nebraska .........: 15 20 20 133 100 Oklahoma .........: 2 2 1 50 50 South Dakota .....: 3 3 5 167 167 Texas ............: 20 20 15 75 75 Washington .......: 2 1 1 50 100 : Other States .....: 3 4 3 100 75 : United States ....: 74 80 75 101 94 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed by Class on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Quarter - States and United States: 2018 and 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Steers and steer calves : Heifers and heifer calves :----------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : Jan 1, : Oct 1, : Jan 1, : Jan 1, : Oct 1, : Jan 1, : 2018 : 2018 : 2019 : 2018 : 2018 : 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Head : Arizona ............: 258 288 285 11 7 10 California .........: 440 465 465 50 55 70 Colorado ...........: 565 550 570 405 430 440 Idaho ..............: 175 175 185 80 85 95 Iowa ...............: 530 500 510 170 190 180 Kansas .............: 1,190 1,220 1,270 1,100 1,150 1,060 Minnesota ..........: 127 105 130 33 25 25 Nebraska ...........: 1,640 1,510 1,570 970 920 990 Oklahoma ...........: 185 185 180 130 140 135 South Dakota .......: 145 115 135 105 100 110 Texas ..............: 1,730 1,650 1,640 910 1,010 1,090 Washington .........: 140 140 140 70 80 85 : Other States .......: 210 190 200 120 115 120 : United States ......: 7,335 7,093 7,280 4,154 4,307 4,410 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Statistical Methodology 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 Regional Field Offices. 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 0.0 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 11.7 million head by more than 0.0 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 0.1 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 1,000 head, ranging from 0 to 15,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has been above the latest estimate 0 times and has been below the latest estimate 2 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 ...............: 0.0 0.1 1 0 15 2 0 : Placements ...................: 0.2 0.3 1 0 15 2 1 : Marketings ...................: 0.1 0.2 0 0 10 0 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 nass@nass.usda.gov. Travis Averill, Chief, Livestock Branch ......... (202) 720-3570 Scott Hollis, Head, Livestock Section ........... (202) 690-2424 Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (202) 690-8632 Holly Brenize - Sheep and Goats .............. (202) 720-0585 Donnie Fike - Dairy Products ................. (202) 720-4448 Heidi Gleich - Cattle, Cattle on Feed ........ (202) 720-3040 Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278 Seth Riggins - Hogs and Pigs ................. (202) 720-3106 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. 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