HDR1012000130010517961500CATTLE ON FEED                                         
Released May 17, 1996, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS),  
Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For information 
on "Cattle On Feed" call Dean Groskurth at (202) 720-3040, office hours 8:00    
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.  For assistance with general agricultural statistics,     
information about NASS, its products or services, contact the NASS Information  
Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail: NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV.                        
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                        U.S. Cattle on Feed                                     
                                                                                
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots
with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 9.17 million head on May 1, 1996.   
                                                                                
Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.36 million.  Net placements were  
1.26 million.  During April, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 
600 pounds were 204,000, 600-699 pounds were 386,000, 700-799 pounds were       
478,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 296,000.                               
                                                                                
Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.90 million.                     
                                                                                
Other disappearance totaled 107,000 during April.                               
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Cattle on Feed in Historic 7 Monthly States Down 6 Percent                 
                                                                                
Cattle on feed May 1, 1996, in the historic 7 monthly States for feedlots with  
capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 7.76 million, down 6 percent from the    
previous year and slightly below May 1, 1994.                                   
                                                                                
Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.15 million, 18 percent below 1995 
and 12 percent below 1994.                                                      
                                                                                
Marketings during April totaled 1.61 million, 12 percent above 1995 and 13      
percent above 1994.                                                             
                                                                                
Other disappearance during April was 65,000 head, 7 percent above last year but 
4 percent below 1994.                                                           
          Cattle on Feed:  Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and          
                 Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,                 
                            7 States, May 1, 1994-96                            
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :          Number          :  1996 as % of   
                Item               :--------------------------------------------
                                   :  1994  :  1995  :  1996  :  1994  :  1995  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   : ------ 1,000 Head -----        Percent     
                                   :                                            
On Feed Apr 1/                     : 7,960    8,328    8,286     104       99   
Placed on Feed During Apr          : 1,310    1,403    1,150      88       82   
Fed Cattle Marketed During Apr     : 1,430    1,437    1,613     113      112   
Other Disappearance During Apr 2/  :    68       61       65      96      107   
On Feed May 1 1/                   : 7,772    8,233    7,758     100       94   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
          Cattle on Feed:  Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and          
                 Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,                 
                           7 States, April 1, 1994-96                           
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :          Number          :  1996 as % of   
                Item               :--------------------------------------------
                                   :  1994  :  1995  :  1996  :  1994  :  1995  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   : ------ 1,000 Head -----        Percent     
                                   :                                            
On Feed Mar 1 1/                   : 7,981    8,227    8,152     102       99   
Placed on Feed During Mar          : 1,518    1,681    1,666     110       99   
Fed Cattle Marketed During Mar     : 1,467    1,513    1,476     101       98   
Other Disappearance During Mar 2/  :    72       67       56      78       84   
On Feed Apr 1 1/                   : 7,960    8,328    8,286     104       99   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Cattle and calves on feed are animals for slaughter market being fed a      
    ration of grain or other concentrates and are expected to produce a carcass 
    that will grade select or better.                                           
2/  Includes death losses, movement from feedlots to pastures and shipments to  
    other feedlots for further feeding.                                         
           Cattle on Feed:  Number on Feed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,           
                by Month, State, and United States 1995-96 1/ 2/                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :              :              :               May 1, 1996                
       :              :              :------------------------------------------
 State : May 1, 1995  : Apr 1, 1996  :              :   as % of   :   as % of   
       :              :              :    Number    :    1995     :  Prev. Mo.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :    ------------ 1,000 Head -----------           ---- Percent ----     
       :                                                                        
AZ     :      190            206            188            99            91     
CA     :      340            305            305            90           100     
CO     :      998          1,030          1,000           100            97     
ID     :                     235            225                          96     
IA     :      375            355            325            87            92     
KS     :    2,150          2,080          2,010            93            97     
NE     :    1,800          1,900          1,740            97            92     
NM     :                     102             91                          89     
OK     :                     400            380                          95     
SD     :                     177            172                          97     
TX     :    2,380          2,410          2,190            92            91     
WA     :                     142            127                          89     
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:                     470            420                          89     
       :                                                                        
US     :                   9,812          9,173                          93     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Cattle and calves on feed are animals for slaughter market being fed a      
    ration of grain or other concentrates and are expected to produce a carcass 
    that will grade select or better.                                           
2/  Missing data not available.                                                 
        Cattle on Feed:  Number Placed on Feed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,       
                  by Month, State, and United States 1995-96 1/                 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :              :              :             During Apr 1996              
       :    During    :    During    :------------------------------------------
 State :   Apr 1995   :   Mar 1996   :              :   as % of   :   as % of   
       :              :              :    Number    :    1995     :  Prev. Mo.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :     ----------- 1,000 Head -----------           ---- Percent ----     
       :                                                                        
AZ     :      35              37             27            77            73     
CA     :      50              40             55           110           138     
CO     :     178             240            130            73            54     
ID     :                      50             40                          80     
IA     :      46              44             33            72            75     
KS     :     360             430            345            96            80     
NE     :     295             350            230            78            66     
NM     :                      27             21                          78     
OK     :                      82             55                          67     
SD     :                      27             20                          74     
TX     :     439             525            330            75            63     
WA     :                      31             18                          58     
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:                      65             60                          92     
       :                                                                        
US     :                   1,948          1,364                          70     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Missing data not available.                                                 
     Cattle on Feed:  Number Placed on Feed by Weight Group, 1,000+ Capacity    
               Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States, 1996               
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :                               During Apr                               
 State :------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :   Less 600   :   600-699    :   700-799    :  800 Plus   :    Total    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :                               1,000 Head                               
       :                                                                        
CO     :      12             23             55             40            130    
KS     :      30            100            141             74            345    
NE     :      17             58             83             72            230    
TX     :      50            135            109             36            330    
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:      95             70             90             74            329    
       :                                                                        
US     :     204            386            478            296          1,364    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Cattle on Feed:  Number Placed on Feed by Weight Group, 1,000+ Capacity    
               Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States, 1996               
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :                               During Mar                               
 State :------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :   Less 600   :   600-699    :   700-799    :  800 Plus   :    Total    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :                               1,000 Head                               
       :                                                                        
CO     :      10             40            110             80            240    
KS     :      39            124            180             87            430    
NE     :      24             87            147             92            350    
TX     :      89            200            205             31            525    
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:     100             93            130             80            403    
       :                                                                        
US     :     262            544            772            370          1,948    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Cattle on Feed:  Number Marketed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,          
                  by Month, State, and United States 1995-96 1/                 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :              :              :             During Apr 1996              
       :    During    :    During    :------------------------------------------
 State :   Apr 1995   :   Mar 1996   :              :   as % of   :   as % of   
       :              :              :    Number    :    1995     :  Prev. Mo.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :     ----------- 1,000 Head -----------           ---- Percent ----     
       :                                                                        
AZ     :      32              33             41           128           124     
CA     :      45              45             45           100           100     
CO     :     161             195            155            96            79     
ID     :                      33             39                         118     
IA     :      50              58             62           124           107     
KS     :     370             360            400           108           111     
NE     :     330             320            370           112           116     
NM     :                      37             31                          84     
OK     :                      70             73                         104     
SD     :                      26             23                          88     
TX     :     449             465            540           120           116     
WA     :                      29             32                         110     
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:                      85             85                         100     
       :                                                                        
US     :                   1,756          1,896                         108     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Missing data not available.                                                 
                                                                                
                                                                                
         Cattle on Feed:  Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,        
                by Month, State, and United States 1995-96 1/ 2/                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :              :              :             During Apr 1996              
       :    During    :    During    :------------------------------------------
 State :   Apr 1995   :   Mar 1996   :              :   as % of   :   as % of   
       :              :              :    Number    :    1995     :  Prev. Mo.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :      ---------- 1,000 Head ----------            ---- Percent ----     
       :                                                                        
AZ     :       5              0              4             80                   
CA     :      15             10             10             67           100     
CO     :       5              5              5            100           100     
ID     :                      2             11                          550     
IA     :       1              1              1            100           100     
KS     :      10             10             15            150           150     
NE     :      15             10             20            133           200     
NM     :                      4              1                           25     
OK     :                      2              2                          100     
SD     :                      1              2                          200     
TX     :      10             20             10            100            50     
WA     :                      1              1                          100     
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:                     10             25                          250     
       :                                                                        
US     :                     76            107                          141     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1/  Includes death losses, movement from feedlots to pastures, and shipments to 
    other feedlots for further feeding.                                         
2/  Missing data not available.                                                 
The next "Cattle On Feed" report will be released at 3 P.M. ET on June 21, 1996.
                                                                                
                                                                                
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