ks-livestock LIVESTOCK KANSAS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE Kansas Department of Agriculture PO Box 3534 Topeka, KS 66601-3534 Phone: 785-233-2230 Released: April 16, 2004 Volume 04, No. 4 In this issue: Cattle on Feed and Milk Production ---------------------- KANSAS CATTLE ON FEED Kansas Cattle On Feed The number of cattle on feed on April 1, 2004 in Kansas feedlots with 1,000 head or more capacity totaled 2.36 million head, up 2 percent from a year ago but 1 percent below the number on hand March 1, 2004. Placements during March totaled 460,000 head, 10 percent lower than a year ago but 18 percent above February 2004 placements of 390,000 head. Marketings during March totaled 470,000 head, 15 percent above March 2003 and 16 percent above February 2004. Other disappearance was 20,000 head, unchanged from March 2003 but 33 percent above February 2004. The percent of March placements by weight was: under 600 pounds, 12 percent; 600-699 pounds, 21 percent; 700-799 pounds, 42 percent; and 800 pounds or heavier, 25 percent. Of the total number of cattle on feed, 52 percent were steers and steer calves, 47 percent heifers and heifer calves, and the remainder were cows and bulls. Cattle On Feed, Placements, Marketings, and Other Disappearance, 1,000+ Head Capacity Feedlots, Selected States and United States, March - April 2003-2004 Number on Feed 1/ March March Other April 1 Placements Marketings Disappearance State Mar. 1 During Mar. 2/ 2004 2003 2004 % of 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 -----1,000 -------------------------------1,000 Head----- (%) Head------------------------------- AZ 295 278 293 105 31 33 29 32 3 3 CA 500 475 495 104 62 70 58 71 4 4 CO 1,020 970 970 100 160 150 175 190 5 10 ID 265 280 255 91 58 39 57 46 1 3 IA 405 375 415 111 56 69 60 56 1 3 KS 2,390 2,320 2,360 102 510 460 410 470 20 20 NE 2,270 2,190 2,210 101 320 295 310 350 10 5 NM 112 105 105 100 16 16 22 21 1 2 OK 335 340 330 97 94 74 71 77 3 2 SD 210 210 205 98 39 33 43 36 1 2 TX 2,690 2,670 2,640 99 600 490 480 530 10 10 WA 175 180 170 94 31 29 30 33 1 1 Other States 310 320 300 94 55 46 58 54 2 2 U.S. 10,977 10,713 10,748 100 2,032 1,804 1,803 1,966 62 67 1/ Being fattened for slaughter market on grain or other concentrates to grade select or better. 2/ Includes death losses, movement from feedlots to pastures and shipments to other feedlots. U.S. Cattle On Feed Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.75 million head on April 1, 2004. The inventory was slightly above April 1, 2003 and 7 percent below April 1, 2002. The inventory included 6.62 million steers and steer calves, down 2 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 62 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.06 million head, up 4 percent from 2003. Placements in feedlots during March totaled 1.80 million, 11 percent below 2003 and 8 percent below 2002. Net placements were 1.74 million. During March, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 347,000, 600-699 pounds were 346,000, 700-799 pounds were 641,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 470,000. Marketings of fed cattle during March totaled 1.97 million, 9 percent above 2003 and 8 percent above 2002. Other disappearance totaled 67,000 during March, 8 percent above 2003 but 3 percent below 2002. Cattle On Feed: Number Placed On Feed by Weight Group, 1,000+ Head Capacity Feedlots, Selected States and United States, March 2003-2004 Placed in March State Under 600 600-699 700-799 800 Plus Total 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004 -------------------------------------------------1,000 Head ------------------------------------------------- CO 15 15 26 30 61 60 58 45 160 150 KS 45 55 105 95 200 195 160 115 510 460 NE 22 32 55 47 113 106 130 110 320 295 TX 78 120 128 120 248 180 146 70 600 490 Other States 110 125 75 54 120 100 137 130 442 409 US 270 347 389 346 742 641 631 470 2,032 1,804 Cattle On Feed: Number On Feed by Class 1,000+ Head Capacity Feedlots, by Quarter, State, and United States, 2003-2004 Steers & Steer Calves Heifers & Heifer Cows and Bulls Calves State Apr. Jan. Apr. Apr. Jan. Apr. Apr. Jan. 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, Apr. 1, 2003 2004 2004 2003 2004 2004 2003 2004 2004 --------------------------------------------------1,000 Head ------------------------------------------------- CO 590 625 575 375 410 390 5 5 5 KS 1,270 1,270 1,230 1,030 1,150 1,110 20 10 20 NE 1,305 1,310 1,300 860 940 890 25 30 20 TX 1,710 1,720 1,670 955 1,107 967 5 3 3 Other 1,847 1,920 1,845 701 723 704 15 30 19 States 1/ U.S. 1/ 6,722 6,845 6,620 3,921 4,330 4,061 70 78 67 1/ January 1, 2004 Steers & Steer Calves revised. Kansas And U.S. Milk Production Up The January-March 2004 milk the U.S. was 42.7 billion pounds, production in Kansas totaled 543 down 0.9 percent from the million pounds, up slightly from January-March period last year. The production during the same quarter average number of milk cows in the in 2003. The number of milk cows was U.S. during the quarter was 8.99 estimated at 111,000 cows, down million head, 153,000 head less than slightly from the same quarter a the same period a year earlier. U.S. year ago. The quarterly production milk production per cow during the per cow averaged 4,895 pounds, a 75 second quarter averaged 4,748 pound increase from the pounds, up 38 pounds from the January-March period last year. comparable 2003 average. The quarterly production of milk for Dave Ranek and Quentin Wearne, Agricultural Statisticians Eldon J. Thiessen, State Statistician Eddie Wells, Deputy State Statistician MARKET IMPLICATION -Provided by Jim Mintert, Extension Ag Economist at KSU - Research & Extension Service Slaughter cattle prices rose again this week. According to USDA, slaughter cattle prices in the five area region averaged about $87.50/cwt. during the week ending April 16th, up from $86/cwt. the previous week. The price increase pushed cash prices about 10% above a year ago. This compares with the first quarter of 2004 when slaughter cattle prices averaged $81.39/cwt., 3% higher than during 2003. Wholesale beef price strength led the way for the improvement in slaughter steer and heifer prices. USDA's light Choice cutout value averaged $162/cwt. this past week, 20% higher than a year ago and about $11/cwt. higher than the previous week's average. Weekly average light Choice boxed beef prices have increased $23/cwt. over the last two weeks. Surprisingly tight supplies of slaughter cattle have supported boxed beef and slaughter cattle prices in recent weeks. Cattle slaughter the week ending April 17th was 11% smaller than last year and marked the third week in a row that slaughter declined more than 10% compared to the same week during 2003. Over the last four weeks, cattle slaughter averaged 9% below 2003's . Average dressed weights finally moved above a year ago the last two weeks, although that was primarily because weights this time last year were still declining. Steer weights in early April were still below a year ago, suggesting the slaughter slowdown was not leading to the development of a fed cattle marketing backlog. Today's Cattle On Feed report provided additional support to the notion that cattle supplies are tighter than previously thought. The April 1st on feed inventory was virtually unchanged from last year and 3% smaller than the five-year average. This compares to a 4% year over year increase on March 1st. And net placements of cattle on feed fell 12% below a year ago during March and were 8.4% smaller than the five-year average. Both estimates were somewhat smaller than industry estimates that circulated before the report's release. On feed estimates suggest the recent sharp year-to-year declines in slaughter will moderate as spring progresses. But this winter's placement pattern (down 11% during January-March) indicates that supplies this summer will be less burdensome (in the absence of trade with Japan) than forecast previously. Prices this summer will be still be dependent on whether or not exports to Japan resume, but the picture certainly looks brighter now than it did earlier in the year. For a more detailed narrative visit www.agmanager.info/livestock/marketing