Cattle on Feed Report

Cattle on Feed Report

I’m KayDee Gilkey with today’s Open Range.

Last week’s USDA Cattle on Feed Report had one surprise for some analysts. USDA livestock analyst Michael Jewison reports that on cattle feedlot activity for November.

Jewison: “Larger placements that the trade was expecting. The trade was expecting a larger decline in placements that didn’t happen.”

The report showing that producers put 1.9 million head into feedlots, 6 percent less than a year ago but that still beat the trade’s expectations of an even lower number like 9 percent less. Jewison explains.

Jewison: “Number one in general terms, you have a smaller number of animals total inventory outside of feedlots. Second factor is given the fact that industry expected a sharper decline in placements could be indicative of the fact that they thought the pasture conditions were not as bad perhaps as they are.”

USDA also reported last week that approximately 70 percent of the nation’s hay ground is still affected by drought.

Jewison gives additional highlights of the recent Cattle on Feed report.

Jewison: “On this report we found out that all cattle on feed on December 1 was about 11.3 million head or 6 percent below than last year. Fed cattle marketed during November total about 1.76 million head which was about 2 percent below last year.”