WA_LS711                 

Washington D.C.           Thu    Mar 11, 2004              USDA Market News



        Actual Slaughter Under Federal Inspection for  W/E  02/28/2004

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               Cattle    Calves     Hogs       Sheep    Goats   Equine  1/Bison

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                                         Head

 Monday       108,569    3,540    386,137     11,377    2,607     498       114

 Tuesday      125,127    3,715    386,204     10,761    2,557       0        94

 Wednesday    116,805    3,563    390,104     10,002    2,372     239       148

 Thursday     116,734    2,488    377,808     11,329    2,296     380       143

 Friday       104,124    3,662    379,174      8,466    1,359       0        86

 Saturday      11,954        1     54,668         29       31       0         0

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 Total        583,313   16,969  1,974,095     51,964   11,222   1,117       585

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 %Steers         46.0    %Barrows & Gilts  96.3       %Lambs & Yearlings  95.5

 %Heifers        35.2    %Sows              3.4       %Mature Sheep        4.5

 %Cows           17.1    %Stags & Boars     0.3

 %Bulls & Stags   1.7

 1/  Bison are not covered under the Meat Inspection Act, and therefore  

     do not require inspection.  Numbers refer to the amount killed in   

     Federally Inspected plants, and are not necessarily inspected.      



   Meat Production and Actual Liveweight and Dressed Weight  W/E  02/28/2004

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 Production              Species and Class   Liveweight    Dressed Weight

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              Mil. Lbs.                         Lbs.             Lbs.

 Beef           432.2    Cattle                1,227             745

                         Steers                                  796

                         Heifers                                 733

                         Cows                                    619

                         Bulls & Stags                           881



 Calves & Veal    3.3    Calves                  327             201



 Pork           394.7    Hogs                    268             200

                         Barrows & Gilts                         196

                         Sows                                    314

                         Stags & Boars                           192



 Lamb & Mutton    3.7    Sheep                   142              72

                         Mature Sheep                             67

                         Lambs & Yearlings                        73

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 Total Meat

 Production     833.9

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          TABLE C: Federally Inspected Slaughter Percentages

                        by Species and Class, U.S.

                 Week Ending  Saturday, February 28, 2004

     ------------------------------------------------------------

                 :                 :     Number of  : Percent 

         Species :    Class        :       Head     : of Total

     ------------------------------------------------------------

         Cattle  : TOTAL           :       583,313

                 : Steers          :       268,334      46.0

                 : Heifers         :       205,334      35.2

                 : Dairy Cows      :        52,427       9.0

                 : Other Cows      :        47,573       8.2

                 : Bulls           :         9,645       1.7

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         Calves  : TOTAL           :        16,969

     ------------------------------------------------------------

         Hogs    : TOTAL           :     1,974,095

                 : Barrows/Gilts   :     1,900,659      96.3

                 : Sows            :        67,763       3.4

                 : Stags/Boars     :         5,673       0.3

     ------------------------------------------------------------

         Sheep   : TOTAL           :        51,964

                 : Mature Sheep    :         2,350       4.5

                 : Lambs/Yearlings :        49,614      95.5

     ------------------------------------------------------------

               Federally Inspected Slaughter by Species and Day, U.S.

                 Week Ending  Saturday, February 28, 2004

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               :            Number of Head Slaughtered

               :-----------------------------------------------------

        Day    :        :         : S&H as :       :       : D&O as 

        of     :        :         : % of   : Dairy : Other : % of   

        Week   : Steers : Heifers : Day Cat: Cows  : Cows  : Day Cat

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        Mon.   : 54,047   34,093    81.2     9,082   9,516   17.1

        Tue.   : 58,350   43,054    81.0    11,313  10,380   17.3

        Wed.   : 54,283   40,597    81.2    10,357   9,650   17.1

        Thu.   : 52,093   42,848    81.3    10,382   9,252   16.8

        Fri.   : 45,135   38,037    79.9    10,699   8,579   18.5

        Sat.   :  4,426    6,705    93.1       594     196    6.6

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        Wkly.  :

        US.Tot.:268,334  205,334    81.2    52,427  47,573   17.1



 Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service