Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.90 billion pounds in October, up 6 percent from the 4.64 billion pounds produced in October 2017.
Beef production, at 2.43 billion pounds, was 5 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.96 million head, up 6 percent from October 2017. The average live weight was up 2 pounds from the previous year, at 1,363 pounds.
The number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Colorado feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or larger was estimated at 1,020,000 head as of November 1, 2018. The latest inventory was 4 percent above last month and 4 percent above the November 1, 2017 inventory.
Cattle feeders with 1,000 head or larger capacity marketed an estimated 150,000 head of fed cattle during October 2018. This was the same as last month's marketings and the same as the November 2017 marketings.
Harvest and fieldwork activities continued last week where conditions allowed, but was delayed in areas due to continued adverse weather and field conditions, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.
In northeastern counties, warmer midweek weather allowed harvest to advance and corn harvest was noted as nearing completion. Sugarbeet harvest was virtually complete. Sorghum and sunflower harvest also picked up last week. A reporter noted cattle were being moved to corn stalks or other winter pasture.
Fall harvest continued last week, but snowfall and high moisture content of crops slowed progress in some counties.
Received moisture was mostly confined to eastern counties.
Fall harvest and fieldwork made gains over the previous week where conditions allowed, but received moisture continued to hamper progress in areas.
Midweek rain slowed fieldwork in areas, but harvest activities picked up later in the week as warmer and drier weather prevailed, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.19 billion pounds in September, down 5 percent from the 4.41 billion pounds produced in September 2017.
Beef production, at 2.16 billion pounds, was 3 percent below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.62 million head, down 3 percent from September 2017. The average live weight was down 1 pound from the previous year, at 1,358 pounds.
Hard freezes in several areas last week ended the growing season, as producers continued harvest and fall planting where conditions allowed, according to the Mountain Regional Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA.
Winter wheat planted was nearly complete by week's end and hard freezes aided crop dry down.
The number of cattle and calves on feed for the slaughter market in Colorado feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or larger was estimated at 980,000 head as of October 1, 2018. The latest inventory was 9 percent above last month and 4 percent above the October 1, 2017 inventory.
Rain and snowfall in several areas of the state delayed fieldwork and harvest activities last week. Soil moisture supplies improved from received moisture.
In northeastern and east central counties, reporters mentioned snow and rain delayed fieldwork but harvest of several crops continued as conditions allowed. Crops still to be harvested will dry down fast after the freezing temperatures last week, a reporter noted. Received moisture improved conditions for seeding winter wheat, as well as helping pasture conditions going forward.
