WASHINGTON – Slaughter-ready cattle and calves on feed for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.0 million head on Aug. 1, 2013, a 6 percent decline from the comparable year-ago period, according to the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The August on-feed total was the smallest since 2010, and 1 percent below the five-year average, according to DowJones.com.

Placements in feedlots during July dropped 10 percent to 1.72 million, NASS reported. Net placements totaled 1.66 million head. The placement number was well below analyst expectations and the smallest since 2008, according to DowJones.com. In July, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 lbs. were 390,000, 600-699 lbs. were 275,000, 700-799 lbs. were 455,000, and 800 lbs. and greater were 602,000, according to NASS.


Marketings of fed cattle during July climbed 5 percent to 2.00 million, while other disappearance gained 2 percent to 64,000 during July. The higher July marketings were due to an additional weekday.