WA_LS711                 

Washington D.C.            Thu    Dec 11, 2003              USDA Market News



        Actual Slaughter Under Federal Inspection for  W/E  11/29/2003

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

               Cattle    Calves     Hogs       Sheep    Goats   Equine  1/Bison

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

                                         Head

 Monday       121,473    4,167    396,001     11,200    3,061     568       199

 Tuesday      132,381    4,975    395,415     11,496    2,983       0       111

 Wednesday    125,973    4,262    394,501     12,105    2,839     479        63

 Thursday          95      606      1,245         28       17       0         0

 Friday       127,116    3,011    378,614     10,702    2,265       0         4

 Saturday      34,674      389    315,028      2,439       92       0         0

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

 Total        541,712   17,410  1,880,804     47,970   11,257   1,047       377

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

 %Steers         48.5    %Barrows & Gilts  97.3       %Lambs & Yearlings  95.5

 %Heifers        32.1    %Sows              2.5       %Mature Sheep        4.5

 %Cows           17.8    %Stags & Boars     0.2

 %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  11/29/2003

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

 Production              Species and Class   Liveweight    Dressed Weight

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

              Mil. Lbs.                         Lbs.             Lbs.

 Beef           403.5    Cattle                1,242             749

                         Steers                                  811

                         Heifers                                 735

                         Cows                                    588

                         Bulls & Stags                           882



 Calves & Veal    3.4    Calves                  326             201



 Pork           376.1    Hogs                    269             201

                         Barrows & Gilts                         198

                         Sows                                    314

                         Stags & Boars                           245



 Lamb & Mutton    3.4    Sheep                   142              72

                         Mature Sheep                             65

                         Lambs & Yearlings                        72

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

 Total Meat

 Production     786.4

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

 Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service

          TABLE C: Federally Inspected Slaughter Percentages

                        by Species and Class, U.S.

                 Week Ending  Saturday, November 29, 2003

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

                 :                 :     Number of  : Percent 

         Species :    Class        :       Head     : of Total

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

         Cattle  : TOTAL           :       541,712

                 : Steers          :       262,664      48.5

                 : Heifers         :       173,864      32.1

                 : Dairy Cows      :        45,328       8.4

                 : Other Cows      :        50,900       9.4

                 : Bulls           :         8,956       1.7

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

         Calves  : TOTAL           :        17,410

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

         Hogs    : TOTAL           :     1,880,804

                 : Barrows/Gilts   :     1,829,316      97.3

                 : Sows            :        47,324       2.5

                 : Stags/Boars     :         4,164       0.2

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

         Sheep   : TOTAL           :        47,970

                 : Mature Sheep    :         2,175       4.5

                 : Lambs/Yearlings :        45,795      95.5

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

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

                 Week Ending  Saturday, November 29, 2003

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

               :            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

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

        Mon.   : 57,506   38,716    79.2     9,772  13,054   18.8

        Tue.   : 63,226   41,730    79.3    11,611  13,513   19.0

        Wed.   : 61,486   37,966    78.9    12,581  11,863   19.4

        Thu.   :     10        2    12.6        80       3   87.4

        Fri.   : 63,305   41,857    82.7     9,907  10,427   16.0

        Sat.   : 17,131   13,593    88.6     1,377   2,040    9.9

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

        Wkly.  :

        US.Tot.:262,664  173,864    80.6    45,328  50,900   17.8





 Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service