US cattle on feed down 8% on January 1

20/01/2003

US cattle on feed totaled to 9.1 million on January 1 2003 - down 8 percent from the year previous, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has advised.

 

The inventory of the historic seven States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head comprised 5.61 million steers and steer calves – 61% of the total inventory and 3.47 million heifer calves. Both livestock groups were down 8% on the year previous.

 

Placements in feedlots during December amounted to 1.38 million, 4 percent above 2001 but 4 percent below 2000 while marketings during the month amounted to 1.57 million - 1 percent above 2001 and 4 percent above 2000. ‘Other disappearance’ including death loss, movement from feedlots to pasture, and shipments to other feedlots for further feeding amounted to 85,000 head, 7% up on the year before.