USDA reported 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 March 1, 2016. The inventory was 1 percent above March 1, 2015. On average, analysts were expecting a 0.4 percent rise, according to a pre-report poll by Urner Barry.
USDA’s monthly Cattle in Feed survey reported placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.71 million head, 10 percent above 2015, compared to the 9 percent increase that analysts, on average, were predicting. Net placements were 1.65 million head.
During February, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 335,000 head, 600-699 pounds were 300,000 head, 700-799 pounds were 445,000 head, and 800 pounds and greater were 630,000 head.
Marketings of fed cattle during February totaled 1.59 million head, 5 percent above 2015, slightly above the average of analysts’ estimates of a 4.6 percent increase.
Other disappearance totaled 58,000 head during February, 3 percent below 2015.