Cattle on Feed Report Preview   04/18  11:51

April 1 Cattle on Feed Report Expected To Be Neutral to Market

By ShayLe Stewart
DTN Livestock Analyst

                      USDA Actual   Average Estimate       Range
On Feed April 1                         102.0%      101.6-102.5%
Placed in March                          92.8%        90.0-94.7%
Marketed in March                        89.0%        86.5-91.3%

OMAHA (DTN) -- Friday's April 1 USDA Cattle on Feed report isn't 
expected to ruffle the market's feathers and send the complex 
tumbling lower. However, it is unnerving to note the increase in 
total on-feed numbers amid weaker marketings as, seasonally, 
this can become problematic for the industry, as showlists 
naturally grow larger over the summer.

The expected 8.2% decrease in placements comes as no surprise, 
as placements were sharply higher in February following the 
severe snowstorms that affected the entire country in January. 
It will likely become a trend over the next couple of months 
that placements will be reported lower, as feedlots have 
procured calves/feeders earlier this year because they knew that 
supplies would be low and prices would likely be higher the 
closer time got to turn-out season. 

Friday's April 1 Cattle on Feed report isn't expected to have a 
significant effect on the spot market.

**

USDA will release its April 1 Cattle on Feed report at 2 p.m. 
CDT on Friday.