SD-CROP-LIVESTOCK

                      CATTLE ON FEED
                                                

News Release                             October 21, 2005
                                             
                    

                                       
         CATTLE ON FEED INVENTORY DOWN 
                FROM SEPTEMBER
               

SIOUX FALLS, October 21, 2005 -- South Dakota's 1,000+
capacity feedlots reported 130,000 cattle on feed for 
the slaughter market on October 1, according to the 
South Dakota office of USDA's National Agricultural 
Statistics Service.  The October 1 number is down 13,000 
head from one year ago and down 2,000 head from September.  

Placements during September totaled 40,000 head, down 
1,000 from last year but up 16,000 head from August 2004.  

Marketings of fed cattle during September totaled 40,000 
head, up 5,000 head from  last year and up 6,000 from August.

Other disappearance during September totaled 2,000 head, up
1,000 from both last year and  August 2004.

Steer and steer calves totaled 64,000 head, 49 percent of 
the total cattle on feed.  Heifer and heifer calves totaled 
56,000 head, 43 percent of the total cattle on feed.  Bulls 
and cows totaled 10,000 head, accounting for 8 percent of the 
total cattle on feed.



  The complete report can be accessed at www.usda.gov/nass/
         or call Carter Anderson or Steve Noyes at
                      605-323-6500