WA_LS711                 

Washington D.C.            Thu    Dec 18, 2003              USDA Market News



        Actual Slaughter Under Federal Inspection for  W/E  12/06/2003

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               Cattle    Calves     Hogs       Sheep    Goats   Equine  1/Bison

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                                         Head

 Monday       120,658    3,682    383,289     11,260    2,915     275       110

 Tuesday      121,571    5,152    393,838     12,544    2,571     180       186

 Wednesday    124,548    4,572    388,958     11,175    1,733     339       234

 Thursday     129,165    3,870    380,514     11,617    2,552     338       102

 Friday       105,621    4,363    391,940      9,823    1,779       0        47

 Saturday      15,236        1    173,376      2,086      133       0         0

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 Total        616,799   21,640  2,111,915     58,505   11,683   1,132       679

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 %Steers         47.6    %Barrows & Gilts  96.6       %Lambs & Yearlings  96.2

 %Heifers        29.8    %Sows              3.1       %Mature Sheep        3.8

 %Cows           20.5    %Stags & Boars     0.2

 %Bulls & Stags   2.0

 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  12/06/2003

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 Production              Species and Class   Liveweight    Dressed Weight

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              Mil. Lbs.                         Lbs.             Lbs.

 Beef           458.1    Cattle                1,250             746

                         Steers                                  814

                         Heifers                                 737

                         Cows                                    589

                         Bulls & Stags                           884



 Calves & Veal    4.2    Calves                  317             195



 Pork           424.7    Hogs                    271             202

                         Barrows & Gilts                         198

                         Sows                                    316

                         Stags & Boars                           244



 Lamb & Mutton    4.2    Sheep                   141              71

                         Mature Sheep                             66

                         Lambs & Yearlings                        71

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 Total Meat

 Production     891.2

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 Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service

          TABLE C: Federally Inspected Slaughter Percentages

                        by Species and Class, U.S.

                 Week Ending  Saturday, December 06, 2003

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                 :                 :     Number of  : Percent 

         Species :    Class        :       Head     : of Total

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         Cattle  : TOTAL           :       616,799

                 : Steers          :       293,850      47.6

                 : Heifers         :       183,705      29.8

                 : Dairy Cows      :        61,061       9.9

                 : Other Cows      :        65,653      10.6

                 : Bulls           :        12,530       2.0

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         Calves  : TOTAL           :        21,640

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         Hogs    : TOTAL           :     2,111,915

                 : Barrows/Gilts   :     2,041,114      96.6

                 : Sows            :        65,897       3.1

                 : Stags/Boars     :         4,904       0.2

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

         Sheep   : TOTAL           :        58,505

                 : Mature Sheep    :         2,221       3.8

                 : Lambs/Yearlings :        56,284      96.2

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

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

                 Week Ending  Saturday, December 06, 2003

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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.   : 59,309   40,109    82.4     7,984  11,346   16.0

        Tue.   : 59,649   35,680    78.4    11,979  12,086   19.8

        Wed.   : 60,531   36,670    78.0    12,459  12,518   20.1

        Thu.   : 64,414   37,838    79.2    11,935  12,653   19.0

        Fri.   : 48,408   30,426    74.6    12,501  11,827   23.0

        Sat.   :  1,539    2,982    29.7     4,203   5,223   61.9

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        Wkly.  :

        US.Tot.:293,850  183,705    77.4    61,061  65,653   20.5





 Source: National Agricultural Statistics Service