March 9, 2007

Across the nation, cattle on feed is down 3%, but in Nebraska feedlots with capacities of 1,000 or more head, the number of cattle on feed is 2.54 million, up 2% from February 1, 2006 levels and up 8% from February 1, 2005 levels. February 2007 inventory numbers equal January's, the highest since the series began in 1994.

In Nebraska, January placements totaled 420,000 head, down 1% from both 2006 and 2005. Fed cattle marketings for January totaled 405,000 head, up 14% from last year and 13% from two years ago. Other disappearance during January totaled 15,000 head, compared with 10,000 head during January 2006 and 15,000 head during January 2005.

Nationally, cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the U.S., for feedlots with 1,000 or more head capacity, totaled 11.7 million head on February 1. The national inventory was 3% below February 1, 2006, but 3% above February 1, 2005.

Placements in feedlots during January totaled 1.69 million, 23% below 2006 and 10% below 2005. Marketings of fed cattle during January totaled 1.84 million, up 2% from 2006 and up 4% from 2005. Other disappearance totaled 97,000 during January, 17% above 2006 and 33% above 2005.

More cattle and market data about Nebraska is available at www.nass.usda.gov.

USDA's Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Service