SD-CROP-LIVESTOCK

NEWS RELEASE
United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
South Dakota Field Office - Sioux Falls, SD

Media contact:  South Dakota Office, 605/323-6500
Email:  nass-sd@nass.usda.gov


CATTLE AND CALVES DEATH LOSS

SIOUX FALLS, May 8, 2006 -- South Dakota cattle producers lost 
2,600 head of cattle and calves to predators out of a total 
death loss of 138,000 head in 2005, according to the South 
Dakota office of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics 
Service.  Predator losses are down 13 percent from 2000, when 
3,000 cattle and calves were lost.  These predator losses 
accounted for 2 percent of the total deaths in 2005, while 
non-predator causes (sickness, weather, etc) accounted for 
the remaining 98 percent.

Cattle and calves killed by predators valued $1.3 million in 
2005, compared with $1.2 million in 2000.  The value of those 
cattle and calves lost to non-predator causes totaled $95.3 
million in 2005.


Loss of Cattle, by Cause, South Dakota, 2000 and 2005
Cause of Loss	2000	              2005
		Number	% Total Pred  Number  % Total Pred.  % Total Loss
Predators					
   Coyotes	  400	   100.0	200	     66.7	      2/
   Other/Unknown   -	       -	100	     33.3	      2/
   Total	  400	   100.0        300	    100.0	        .6
					
Other Causes 1/    NA	      NA     52,700	        -	      99.4
					
Total Loss	   NA	      NA     53,000             -	     100.0
1/ Other causes include sickness, weather related, and theft.  
Other causes were not available for 2000.
2/ Less than 1 percent

 
Loss of Calves, by Cause, South Dakota, 2000 and 2005
Cause of Loss	2000	        	2005
		Number	% Total Pred.	Number	% Total Pred.	% Total Loss
Predators					
 Coyotes	2,500	   96.2		1,700		73.9	        2.0
 Dogs		   NA	     NA 	  200		 8.7	        2/
 Mt. Lion/Bobcats  NA	     NA		  200	 	 8.7	        2/
 Other/Unknown	   NA	     NA	 	  200	    	 8.7	        2/
 Total		2,600	  100.0		2,300	       100.0	        2.7
					
Other Causes 1/	   NA	     NA        82,700	            -	        97.3
					
Total Loss	   NA 	     NA        85,000	            -	       100.0
1/ Other causes include sickness, weather related, and theft.  
Other causes were not available for 2000.
2/ Less than 1 percent


Access this complete report at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/livestock/non-amb-catt/naccan06.pdf