Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter for feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or more totaled 10.8 million head on March 1, which is 1 percent below the year-ago total, the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported.
Feedlot placements during February advanced 15 percent to 1.65 million, NASS reported. Net placements totaled 1.58 million head. For February, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 lbs. were 390,000, 600-699 lbs. were 330,000, 700-799 lbs. were 415,000 and 800 lbs. and greater were 515,000.
NASS said marketings of fed cattle declined 3 percent during February to 1.55 million. Marketings for February are the lowest for the month since the data series began in 1996, NASS noted. Other disappearance jumped 18 percent to 71,000 during February.
