Final answer:
The correct ranking from largest to smallest inventory of cattle and calves is Feedlots, Commercial Breeders, Stocker Operations, and then Seedstock Producers.
Step-by-step explanation:
To rank the entities from largest inventory to smallest in terms of cattle and calf numbers, we need to understand what each type of operation typically entails. Feedlots are designed for finishing cattle, taking in many animals to fatten them up for slaughter. Commercial breeders would have a significant number of cattle to maintain a continuous breeding program to supply other segments of the industry. Stocker operations raise weaned calves until they are ready to enter feedlots, which suggests a smaller inventory than commercial breeders but more than seedstock producers. Seedstock producers focus on breeding purebred cattle for genetic traits, often operating at a smaller scale than the other operations.
Basing our ranking on the scale of operation typically associated with each segment, the correct order from largest inventory to smallest would generally be:
- Feedlots
- Commercial Breeders
- Stocker Operations
- Seedstock Producers
This means that option b, which lists "Feedlots, Commercial Breeders, Stocker Operations, Seedstock Producers" in that order, is the correct ranking for the size of cattle and calf inventory.