Cattle on Feed ISSN: 1948-9080 Released June 24, 2016, 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 10.8 million head on June 1, 2016. The inventory was 2 percent above June 1, 2015. Placements in feedlots during May totaled 1.88 million head, 10 percent above 2015. Net placements were 1.81 million head. During May, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 305,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 250,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 479,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 850,000 head. Marketings of fed cattle during May totaled 1.79 million head, 5 percent above 2015. Other disappearance totaled 74,000 head during May, 4 percent below 2015. Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: June 1, 2015 and 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2015 : 2016 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed May 1 ..........................: 10,640 10,783 101 Placed on feed during May ..............: 1,719 1,884 110 Fed cattle marketed during May .........: 1,711 1,794 105 Other disappearance during May .........: 77 74 96 On feed June 1 .........................: 10,571 10,799 102 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots - United States: May 1, 2015 and 2016 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Number : Percent of Item :---------------------------: : 2015 : 2016 :previous year ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---- 1,000 head ---- percent : On feed April 1 ........................: 10,797 10,853 101 Placed on feed during April ............: 1,548 1,664 107 Fed cattle marketed during April .......: 1,639 1,658 101 Other disappearance during April .......: 66 76 115 On feed May 1 ..........................: 10,640 10,783 101 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2015 and 2016 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : June 1, 2016 : : :-------------------------------------------- State : June 1, 2015 : May 1, 2016 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : --------------- 1,000 head -------------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 238 305 300 126 98 California .......: 460 415 415 90 100 Colorado .........: 890 900 890 100 99 Idaho ............: 235 240 245 104 102 Iowa .............: 650 640 630 97 98 Kansas ...........: 2,020 2,150 2,160 107 100 Minnesota ........: 143 158 154 108 97 Nebraska .........: 2,400 2,420 2,340 98 97 Oklahoma .........: 275 300 320 116 107 South Dakota .....: 230 265 250 109 94 Texas ............: 2,500 2,490 2,610 104 105 Washington .......: 230 195 190 83 97 : Other States .....: 300 305 295 98 97 : United States ....: 10,571 10,783 10,799 102 100 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2015 and 2016 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2016 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : May 2015 : April 2016 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 25 25 19 76 76 California .......: 54 50 54 100 108 Colorado .........: 140 145 135 96 93 Idaho ............: 30 24 41 137 171 Iowa .............: 65 78 64 98 82 Kansas ...........: 345 370 420 122 114 Minnesota ........: 14 12 14 100 117 Nebraska .........: 390 380 405 104 107 Oklahoma .........: 49 56 68 139 121 South Dakota .....: 29 24 29 100 121 Texas ............: 495 435 560 113 129 Washington .......: 45 34 43 96 126 : Other States .....: 38 31 32 84 103 : United States ....: 1,719 1,664 1,884 110 113 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Placed on Feed by Weight Group on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2015 - 2016 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : During May :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2015 : 2016 : 2015 : 2016 : 2015 : 2016 : 2015 : 2016 : 2015 : 2016 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head : Colorado .........: 30 20 20 20 35 35 55 60 140 135 Kansas ...........: 50 50 55 55 90 120 150 195 345 420 Nebraska .........: 45 40 55 50 75 85 215 230 390 405 Texas ............: 145 115 90 85 125 170 135 190 495 560 : Other States .....: 90 80 40 40 64 69 155 175 349 364 : United States ....: 360 305 260 250 389 479 710 850 1,719 1,884 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : During April :--------------------------------------------------------------------- State :Under 600 lbs: 600-699 lbs : 700-799 lbs : 800+ lbs : Total :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2015 : 2016 : 2015 : 2016 : 2015 : 2016 : 2015 : 2016 : 2015 : 2016 :--------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 head : Colorado .........: 25 25 25 20 35 35 60 65 145 145 Kansas ...........: 55 55 50 50 80 100 130 165 315 370 Nebraska .........: 50 45 55 45 85 85 200 205 390 380 Texas ............: 105 120 70 70 95 110 115 135 385 435 : Other States .....: 85 89 40 40 53 60 135 145 313 334 : United States ....: 320 334 240 225 348 390 640 715 1,548 1,664 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of Cattle Marketed on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2015 and 2016 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2016 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : May 2015 : April 2016 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------ 1,000 head ----------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 26 22 21 81 95 California .......: 39 52 50 128 96 Colorado .........: 130 135 130 100 96 Idaho ............: 29 23 35 121 152 Iowa .............: 74 75 72 97 96 Kansas ...........: 375 385 400 107 104 Minnesota ........: 15 13 17 113 131 Nebraska .........: 470 380 465 99 122 Oklahoma .........: 42 50 47 112 94 South Dakota .....: 37 22 40 108 182 Texas ............: 395 435 430 109 99 Washington .......: 44 33 46 105 139 : Other States .....: 35 33 41 117 124 : United States ....: 1,711 1,658 1,794 105 108 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Disappearance on 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots by Month - States and United States: 2015 and 2016 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : During May 2016 : During : During :-------------------------------------------- State : May 2015 : April 2016 : : Percent of : Percent of : : : Number :previous year :previous month --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- 1,000 head ---------- ----- percent ---- : Arizona ..........: 1 1 3 300 300 California .......: 5 3 4 80 133 Colorado .........: 20 10 15 75 150 Idaho ............: 1 1 1 100 100 Iowa .............: 1 3 2 200 67 Kansas ...........: 10 15 10 100 67 Minnesota ........: 1 1 1 100 100 Nebraska .........: 20 20 20 100 100 Oklahoma .........: 2 1 1 50 100 South Dakota .....: 2 2 4 200 200 Texas ............: 10 10 10 100 100 Washington .......: 1 1 2 200 200 : Other States .....: 3 8 1 33 13 : United States ....: 77 76 74 96 97 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 0.4 percent. This means that chances are 2 out of 3 that the final estimate will not be above or below the current estimate of 10.8 million head by more than 0.4 percent. Chances are 9 out of 10 that the difference will not exceed 0.7 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 26,000 head, ranging from 0 to 97,000 head. During this period the initial estimate has been above the latest estimate 7 times and has been below the latest estimate 8 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 ...............: 0.4 0.7 26 0 97 8 7 : Placements ...................: 0.5 0.8 4 0 28 13 2 : Marketings ...................: 0.0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch ........... (202) 720-3570 Scott Hollis, Head, Livestock Section ........... (202) 690-2424 Sherry Bertramsen - Livestock Slaughter ...... (202) 720-3240 Doug Bounds - Hogs and Pigs .................. (202) 720-3106 David Colwell - Sheep and Goats .............. (202) 720-8784 Donnie Fike - Dairy Products ................. (202) 690-3236 Michael Klamm - Cattle, Cattle on Feed ....... (202) 720-3040 Mike Miller - Milk Production and Milk Cows .. (202) 720-3278 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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