Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, Meatingplace.com, March 21

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.4 million head on March 1, up 5 percent from a year ago, according to USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report.

The total on feed was slightly lower than analysts had expected, according to the CME’s Daily Livestock Report.

Placements in feedlots during February totaled 1.66 million, 1 percent below 2010. Net placements were 1.60 million head.

During February, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds totaled 400,000, while 600-699 pounds totaled 365,000. Cattle weighing 700-799 pounds totaled 489,000 and 800 pounds and greater totaled 410,000.

Calves placed weighing less than 600 pounds were up 25 percent from a year ago while yearling placements over 800 pounds were down nearly 12 percent.

“The supply of cattle outside feedlots remains very current and the expectation is that feedlots will find it increasingly difficult to find enough feeders to maintain the placement rates we saw in 2010,” livestock analysts Len Steiner and Steve Meyer wrote in the DLR. “The decline in feeder and live cattle supplies point to even higher beef prices down the road.”

Marketings of fed cattle during February totaled 1.79 million, 4 percent above 2010.

Other disappearance totaled 60,000 during February, 12 percent below 2010.

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