WA_LS711                 

Washington D.C.           Thu    Apr 29, 2004              USDA Market News



        Actual Slaughter Under Federal Inspection for  W/E  04/17/2004

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

               Cattle    Calves     Hogs       Sheep    Goats   Equine  1/Bison

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

                                         Head

 Monday        77,321    2,950    276,746      8,534    2,764     545        99

 Tuesday      128,237    3,893    380,563      9,519    2,565       0        32

 Wednesday    119,539    3,286    388,434      6,414    1,726     166       154

 Thursday     127,980    3,479    395,647     11,006    2,181     197       119

 Friday       124,485    3,853    379,953      8,902    1,900       0       108

 Saturday      17,700      243    147,565         55       44       0         0

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

 Total        595,262   17,704  1,968,908     44,430   11,180     908       512

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

 %Steers         49.8    %Barrows & Gilts  96.6       %Lambs & Yearlings  92.8

 %Heifers        33.5    %Sows              3.1       %Mature Sheep        7.2

 %Cows           15.0    %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  04/17/2004

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

 Production              Species and Class   Liveweight    Dressed Weight

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

              Mil. Lbs.                         Lbs.             Lbs.

 Beef           433.4    Cattle                1,201             732

                         Steers                                  774

                         Heifers                                 714

                         Cows                                    611

                         Bulls & Stags                           904



 Calves & Veal    3.7    Calves                  351             214



 Pork           393.9    Hogs                    268             201

                         Barrows & Gilts                         197

                         Sows                                    312

                         Stags & Boars                           228



 Lamb & Mutton    3.3    Sheep                   146              73

                         Mature Sheep                             68

                         Lambs & Yearlings                        74

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

 Total Meat

 Production     834.3

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



















          TABLE C: Federally Inspected Slaughter Percentages

                        by Species and Class, U.S.

                  Week Ending  Saturday, April 17, 2004

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

                 :                 :     Number of  : Percent 

         Species :    Class        :       Head     : of Total

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

         Cattle  : TOTAL           :       595,262

                 : Steers          :       296,197      49.8

                 : Heifers         :       199,696      33.5

                 : Dairy Cows      :        42,040       7.1

                 : Other Cows      :        47,022       7.9

                 : Bulls           :        10,307       1.7

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

         Calves  : TOTAL           :        17,704

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

         Hogs    : TOTAL           :     1,968,908

                 : Barrows/Gilts   :     1,902,541      96.6

                 : Sows            :        61,916       3.1

                 : Stags/Boars     :         4,451       0.2

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

         Sheep   : TOTAL           :        44,430

                 : Mature Sheep    :         3,210       7.2

                 : Lambs/Yearlings :        41,220      92.8

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

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

                  Week Ending  Saturday, April 17, 2004

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

               :            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.   : 36,048   25,347    79.4     5,821   8,484   18.5

        Tue.   : 64,941   42,992    84.2     8,623   9,575   14.2

        Wed.   : 58,407   42,022    84.0     8,086   8,770   14.1

        Thu.   : 64,965   41,506    83.2     8,865  10,588   15.2

        Fri.   : 64,022   38,504    82.4    10,301   9,439   15.9

        Sat.   :  7,814    9,325    96.8       344     166    2.9

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

        Wkly.  :

        US.Tot.:296,197  199,696    83.3    42,040  47,022   15.0



 Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service