USDA Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report

Dec 27, 2013

United States Hog Inventory Down 1 Percent

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2013 was 65.9 million head. This was down 1 percent from December 1, 2012, and down 2 percent from September 1, 2013.

Breeding inventory, at 5.76 million head, was down 1 percent from last year, and down 1 percent from the previous quarter.

Market hog inventory, at 60.2 million head, was down 1 percent from last year, and down 2 percent from last quarter.

The September-November 2013 pig crop, at 29.3 million head, was down slightly from 2012. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.88 million head, down slightly from 2012. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 10.16 for the September-November period, compared to 10.15 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 8.00 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.20 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

United States hog producers intend to have 2.83 million sows farrow during the December 2013-February 2014 quarter, up 1 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2013, and up slightly from 2012. Intended farrowings for March-May 2014, at 2.86 million sows, are up 1 percent from 2013, but down 3 percent from 2012.

Source: USDA

Video: What Really Drives Meat Quality in Pork? - Dr. Yan Huang

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Yan Huang from University of Arkansas explores how genetics, nutrition, and stress management shape pork quality. He explains how molecular pathways influence fat deposition, muscle growth, and meat flavor while balancing production efficiency. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The most important driver of pork quality. Feed plays a very important role in the meat quality."

Meet the guest: Dr. Yan Huang / yan-huang-77829421 is an Associate Professor in Nutritional Skeletal Muscle Biology at the University of Arkansas. With academic experience across China, South Korea, and the United States, his work focuses on the genetic and molecular regulation of muscle growth and fat deposition in swine. His research connects genetics, nutrition, and pork quality to improve production efficiency and consumer satisfaction.