Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released May 22, 2020, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). United States Cattle on Feed Down 5 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 11.2 million head on May 1, 2020. The inventory was 5 percent below May 1, 2019. Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.43 million head, 22 percent below 2019. Placements were the second lowest for April since the series began in 1996. Net placements were 1.36 million head. During April, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 295,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 180,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 315,000 head, 800-899 pounds were 392,000 head, 900-999 pounds were 180,000 head, and 1,000 pounds and greater were 70,000 head. Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.46 million head, 24 percent below 2019. April marketings are the lowest since the series began in 1996. Other disappearance totaled 70,000 head during April, 17 percent above 2019. Cattle on Feed Inventory, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: May 1, 2019 and 2020 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2019 : 2020 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed April 1 ........................: 11,953 11,297 95 Placed on feed during April ............: 1,842 1,432 78 Fed cattle marketed during April .......: 1,928 1,459 76 Other disappearance during April .......: 60 70 117 On feed May 1 ..........................: 11,807 11,200 95 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed Inventory, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: April 1, 2019 and 2020 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2019 : 2020 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed March 1 ........................: 11,785 11,811 100 Placed on feed during March ............: 2,014 1,557 77 Fed cattle marketed during March .......: 1,777 2,010 113 Other disappearance during March .......: 69 61 88 On feed April 1 ........................: 11,953 11,297 95 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle on Feed Inventory on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2019 and 2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : May 1, 2020 : : :-------------------------------------------- State : May 1, 2019 : April 1, 2020 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : --------------- 1,000 head -------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 302 262 265 88 101 California .......: 530 535 530 100 99 Colorado .........: 1,060 960 950 90 99 Idaho ............: 285 285 280 98 98 Iowa .............: 680 630 620 91 98 Kansas ...........: 2,380 2,290 2,320 97 101 Minnesota ........: 140 130 130 93 100 Nebraska .........: 2,560 2,390 2,370 93 99 Oklahoma .........: 305 305 295 97 97 South Dakota .....: 245 215 205 84 95 Texas ............: 2,790 2,760 2,690 96 97 Washington .......: 235 235 245 104 104 : Other States .....: 295 300 300 102 100 : United States ....: 11,807 11,297 11,200 95 99 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2019 and 2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During April 2020 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : April 2019 : March 2020 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 25 31 25 100 81 California .......: 63 62 68 108 110 Colorado .........: 170 135 115 68 85 Idaho ............: 31 28 26 84 93 Iowa .............: 85 69 62 73 90 Kansas ...........: 435 345 355 82 103 Minnesota ........: 11 12 13 118 108 Nebraska .........: 435 380 310 71 82 Oklahoma .........: 58 40 37 64 93 South Dakota .....: 27 23 23 85 100 Texas ............: 415 350 330 80 94 Washington .......: 40 33 34 85 103 : Other States .....: 47 49 34 72 69 : United States ....: 1,842 1,557 1,432 78 92 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots and Month - States and United States: 2019 and 2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During April 2019 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ......: 30 30 40 45 25 (D) (D) 170 Kansas ........: 45 60 125 130 75 (D) (D) 435 Nebraska ......: 40 50 95 130 120 (D) (D) 435 Texas .........: 125 70 105 90 25 (D) (D) 415 : Other States ..: 115 40 82 100 50 (D) (D) 387 : United States .: 355 250 447 495 (X) 210 85 1,842 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During March 2020 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ......: 25 20 35 35 20 (D) (D) 135 Kansas ........: 40 50 110 100 45 (D) (D) 345 Nebraska ......: 25 45 100 120 90 (D) (D) 380 Texas .........: 115 65 85 65 20 (D) (D) 350 : Other States ..: 105 40 80 82 40 (D) (D) 347 : United States .: 310 220 410 402 (X) 155 60 1,557 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During April 2020 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ......: 25 15 25 30 20 (D) (D) 115 Kansas ........: 35 45 100 115 60 (D) (D) 355 Nebraska ......: 20 30 65 105 90 (D) (D) 310 Texas .........: 110 55 65 70 30 (D) (D) 330 : Other States ..: 105 35 60 72 50 (D) (D) 322 : United States .: 295 180 315 392 (X) 180 70 1,432 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (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: 2019 and 2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During April 2020 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : April 2019 : March 2020 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 25 24 21 84 88 California .......: 65 66 62 95 94 Colorado .........: 165 220 120 73 55 Idaho ............: 30 37 30 100 81 Iowa .............: 113 105 68 60 65 Kansas ...........: 420 425 310 74 73 Minnesota ........: 20 16 12 60 75 Nebraska .........: 440 475 315 72 66 Oklahoma .........: 67 54 46 69 85 South Dakota .....: 30 44 30 100 68 Texas ............: 465 460 390 84 85 Washington .......: 28 32 23 82 72 : Other States .....: 60 52 32 53 62 : United States ....: 1,928 2,010 1,459 76 73 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cattle Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2019 and 2020 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During April 2020 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : April 2019 : March 2020 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 1 1 1 100 100 California .......: 3 6 11 367 183 Colorado .........: 5 5 5 100 100 Idaho ............: 1 1 1 100 100 Iowa .............: 2 4 4 200 100 Kansas ...........: 15 10 15 100 150 Minnesota ........: 1 1 1 100 100 Nebraska .........: 15 15 15 100 100 Oklahoma .........: 1 1 1 100 100 South Dakota .....: 2 4 3 150 75 Texas ............: 10 10 10 100 100 Washington .......: 2 1 1 50 100 : Other States .....: 2 2 2 100 100 : United States ....: 60 61 70 117 115 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 0.1 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 11.2 million head by more than 0.1 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 4,000 head, ranging from 0 to 15,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has been above the latest estimate 8 times and has been below the latest estimate 3 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 ...............: 0.1 0.1 4 0 15 3 8 : Placements ...................: 0.2 0.4 3 0 15 6 3 : Marketings ...................: 0.0 0.0 0 0 2 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@usda.gov. Travis Averill, Chief, Livestock Branch ......... (202) 692-0069 Scott Hollis, Head, Livestock Section ........... (202) 690-2424 Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (202) 690-8632 Holly Brenize - Sheep and Goats .............. (202) 720-0585 Heidi Lanouette - Cattle, Cattle on Feed ..... (202) 720-3040 Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278 Suzanne Richards - Dairy Products ............ (202) 720-4448 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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