United States Hog Inventory Up 2 Percent
United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2014 was 66.1 million head. This was up 2 percent from December 1, 2013, and up 1 percent from September 1, 2014.
Breeding inventory, at 5.97 million head, was up 4 percent from last year, and up 1 percent from the previous quarter.
Market hog inventory, at 60.1 million head, was up 2 percent from last year, and up 1 percent from last quarter.
The September-November 2014 pig crop, at 29.4 million head, was up 4 percent from 2013. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.87 million head, up 3 percent from 2013. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 48 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 10.23 for the September-November period, compared to 10.16 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 8.10 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.30 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.
United States hog producers intend to have 2.87 million sows farrow during the December-February 2015 quarter, up 4 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2014, and up 3 percent from 2013. Intended farrowings for March-May 2015, at 2.90 million sows, are up 3 percent from 2014, and up 3 percent from 2013.
The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 46 percent of the total United States hog inventory, down from 48 percent last year.
Revisions
All inventory and pig crop estimates for March 2013 through September 2014 were reviewed using final pig crop, official slaughter, death loss, and updated import and export data. A revision of 0.4 percent was made to the September 2014 all hogs and pigs inventory. The net revision to the June 2014 all hogs and pigs inventory was 0.9 percent. A revision of 0.5 percent was made to the March-May 2014 pig crop.
Source: USDA