HDR1012000130011220961500CATTLE ON FEED                                         
Cattle                                                                          
on Feed                                                                         
National                                                                        
Agricultural                                                                    
Statistics                                                                      
Service                                                                         
                                                                                
USDA                                                                            
Washington, D.C.                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Released December 20, 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 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.  For assistance with general agricultural      
statistics, information about NASS, its products or services, contact the       
Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail:                    
NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV.  The "Cattle On Feed" U.S. Summary is available on AutoFax, 
(202) 720-2000, report 3100.                                                    
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                        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 10.60 million head on December 1,   
1996.                                                                           
                                                                                
Placements in feedlots during November totaled 2.33 million.  Net placements    
were 2.24 million.  During November, placements of cattle and calves weighing   
less than 600 pounds were 799,000, 600-699 pounds were 678,000, 700-799 pounds  
were 537,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 319,000.                          
                                                                                
Marketings of fed cattle during November totaled 1.72 million.                  
                                                                                
Other disappearance totaled 93,000 during November.                             
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
      Cattle on Feed in Historic 7 Monthly States Up 3 Percent                  
                                                                                
Cattle on feed December 1, 1996, in the historic 7 monthly States for feedlots  
with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 8.97 million, up 3 percent from the 
previous year and up 9 percent from December 1, 1994.                           
                                                                                
Placements in feedlots during November totaled 1.94 million, 8 percent above    
1995 and 18 percent above 1994.                                                 
                                                                                
Marketings during November totaled 1.44 million, 3 percent below 1995 but 5     
percent above 1994.                                                             
                                                                                
Other disappearance during November was 66,000 head, 8 percent above last year  
and 6 percent above 1994.                                                       
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
          Cattle on Feed:  Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and          
                 Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,                 
                          7 States, December 1, 1994-96                         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :          Number          :  1996 as % of   
                Item               :--------------------------------------------
                                   :  1994  :  1995  :  1996  :  1994  :  1995  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   : ------ 1,000 Head ------       Percent     
                                   :                                            
On Feed Nov 1/                     : 7,988    8,420    *8,534    107      101   
Placed on Feed During Nov          : 1,642    1,804     1,943    118      108   
Fed Cattle Marketed During Nov     : 1,370    1,478     1,438    105       97   
Other Disappearance During Nov 2/  :    62       61        66    106      108   
On Feed Dec 1 1/                   : 8,198    8,685     8,973    109      103   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
          Cattle on Feed:  Number on Feed, Placements, Marketings, and          
                 Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,                 
                          7 States, November 1, 1994-96                         
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   :          Number          :  1996 as % of   
                Item               :--------------------------------------------
                                   :  1994  :  1995  :  1996  :  1994  :  1995  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   : ------ 1,000 Head ------       Percent     
                                   :                                            
On Feed Oct 1 1/                   : 7,295    7,722     7,486    103       97   
Placed on Feed During Oct          : 2,244    2,278    *2,536    113      111   
Fed Cattle Marketed During Oct     : 1,504    1,529    *1,431     95       94   
Other Disappearance During Oct 2/  :    47       51        57    121      112   
On Feed Nov 1 1/                   : 7,988    8,420    *8,534    107      101   
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
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/                
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :              :              :               Dec 1, 1996                
       :              :              :------------------------------------------
 State : Dec 1, 1995  : Nov 1, 1996  :              :   as % of   :   as % of   
       :              :              :    Number    :    1995     :  Prev. Mo.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :    ------------ 1,000 Head ------------          ---- Percent ----     
       :                                                                        
AZ     :      224             224            238          106           106     
CA     :      360             355            360          100           101     
CO     :    1,031          *1,080          1,090          106           101     
ID     :                      285            280                         98     
IA     :      380             315            355           93           113     
KS     :    2,150           2,170          2,240          104           103     
NE     :    1,920           1,890          2,050          107           108     
NM     :                     *129            133                        103     
OK     :                      375            395                        105     
SD     :                      130            162                        125     
TX     :    2,620           2,500          2,640          101           106     
WA     :                      180            175                         97     
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:                      440            480                        109     
       :                                                                        
US     :                  *10,073         10,598                        105     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
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 Nov 1996              
       :    During    :    During    :------------------------------------------
 State :   Nov 1995   :   Oct 1996   :              :   as % of   :   as % of   
       :              :              :    Number    :    1995     :  Prev. Mo.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :     ----------- 1,000 Head -----------           ---- Percent ----     
       :                                                                        
AZ     :      46               51            43            93            84     
CA     :      45               55            60           133           109     
CO     :     212             *275           195            92            71     
ID     :                       75            65                          87     
IA     :      92              105            80            87            76     
KS     :     440              610           500           114            82     
NE     :     490              640           480            98            75     
NM     :                      *56            29                          52     
OK     :                      119            87                          73     
SD     :                       45            50                         111     
TX     :     479              800           585           122            73     
WA     :                       41            34                          83     
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:                      135           125                          93     
       :                                                                        
US     :                   *3,007         2,333                          78     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
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 Nov                               
 State :------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :   Less 600   :   600-699    :   700-799    :  800 Plus   :    Total    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :                               1,000 Head                               
       :                                                                        
CO     :      50             52             60             33            195    
KS     :     122            174            138             66            500    
NE     :     159            130             94             97            480    
TX     :     228            199            135             23            585    
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:     240            123            110            100            573    
       :                                                                        
US     :     799            678            537            319          2,333    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
     Cattle on Feed:  Number Placed on Feed by Weight Group, 1,000+ Capacity    
               Feedlots, by Month, State, and United States, 1996               
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :                               During Oct                               
 State :------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :   Less 600   :   600-699    :   700-799    :  800 Plus   :    Total    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :                               1,000 Head                               
       :                                                                        
CO     :      *53            50             *99            73           *275    
KS     :      114           172             197           127            610    
NE     :      178           135             153           174            640    
TX     :      256           232             232            80            800    
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:     *245           135             145          *157           *682    
       :                                                                        
US     :     *846           724            *826          *611         *3,007    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
                                                                                
           Cattle on Feed:  Number Marketed, 1,000+ Capacity Feedlots,          
                  by Month, State, and United States 1995-96 1/                 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :              :              :             During Nov 1996              
       :    During    :    During    :------------------------------------------
 State :   Nov 1995   :   Oct 1996   :              :   as % of   :   as % of   
       :              :              :    Number    :    1995     :  Prev. Mo.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :     ----------- 1,000 Head -----------           ---- Percent ----     
       :                                                                        
AZ     :      28               27            24            86            89     
CA     :      45               50            50           111           100     
CO     :     194             *150           180            93           120     
ID     :                       59            62                         105     
IA     :      66               49            39            59            80     
KS     :     385              350           410           106           117     
NE     :     321              310           310            97           100     
NM     :                       19            21                         111     
OK     :                       71            64                          90     
SD     :                       25            17                          68     
TX     :     439              495           425            97            86     
WA     :                       42            38                          90     
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:                       50            75                         150     
       :                                                                        
US     :                   *1,697         1,715                         101     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*   Revised.                                                                    
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 Nov 1996              
       :    During    :    During    :------------------------------------------
 State :   Nov 1995   :   Oct 1996   :              :   as % of   :   as % of   
       :              :              :    Number    :    1995     :  Prev. Mo.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       :      ---------- 1,000 Head ----------            ---- Percent ----     
       :                                                                        
AZ     :       1              1              5            500           500     
CA     :      10              5              5             50           100     
CO     :       5              5              5            100           100     
ID     :                      6              8                          133     
IA     :       1              1              1            100           100     
KS     :      15             20             20            133           100     
NE     :      19             10             10             53           100     
NM     :                      3              4                          133     
OK     :                      3              3                          100     
SD     :                      0              1                                  
TX     :      10             15             20            200           133     
WA     :                      4              1                           25     
       :                                                                        
Oth Sts:                      5             10                          200     
       :                                                                        
US     :                     78             93                          119     
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 January 24,   
1997.                                                                           
                                                                                
                                                                                
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          USDA Announces Agricultural Outlook Forum  97                         
                     February 24 and 25, 1997                                   
              Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.                             
                                                                                
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                           Agricultural                                         
                             Outlook                                            
                            Forum  97