Cattle on Feed Report

No big surprises in Friday’s release of the monthly Cattle on Feed Report. Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.52 million, 8 percent below 2014. USDA Livestock Analyst Shayle Shagam explains lower year to year numbers in placement of cattle into feedlots last month and what that means for supply numbers.
Shagam: “What is sort of interesting is that we saw lower placements in most weight categories with the exception of 800 pounds and above — which generally would be consistently with the idea that as you got into February and you’d be moving into March cattle that had been in small grain pastures such as winter wheat actually are coming off and moving into the feedlot so that would explain the increase in the heavier weight cattle. And the fact that we are looking at lower numbers of most classes of light weight cattle — 600 and less; 600 to 700; 700 to 800 is indtictive of the fact that we are looking at tighter supplies of cattle. That will be continuing to constrain the ability of feedlots to expand the number of cattle on feed during the year.”
In Colorado as of March 1st there were 870,000 head on feed in feedlots with more than 1,000 head capacity. That was 5 percent less compared to the last year’s numbers.
In Idaho, as of March 1st there were 230,000 head on feed in feedlots with more than 1,000 head capacity. That was 12 percent higher compared to a year ago.
In Washington, as of March 1st 215,000 head on feed in feedlots with more than 1,000 head capacity. That was 8 percent higher than last year.