By Rita Jane Gabbett on 6/24/2013

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.7 million head June 1, according to USDA’s monthly Cattle on Feed report.
The inventory was 3 percent below June 1, 2012, and in line with what market analysts were expecting.  
Placements in feedlots during May totaled 2.05 million, 2 percent below 2012. They were on the high end of analysts’ expectations, which ranged widely from a nearly 15 percent decline to nearly no decline at all, according to a Dow Jones survey of analysts’ expectations ahead of the report, which was issued Friday.
Net placements were 1.95 million head. During May, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 390,000; those weighing 600-699 pounds totaled 304,000; those weighing 700-799 pounds totaled 555,000; and those weighing 800 pounds and greater totaled 800,000.
Fed cattle marketings during May totaled 1.95 million, which was 3 percent below 2012 and at the low end of analysts’ expectations. Marketings were the second lowest for the month of May since the series began in 1996. 
Other disappearance totaled 100,000 during May, unchanged from 2012.