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United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2012 was 64.9 million head. This was up 2 percent from March 1, 2011, but down 2 percent from December 1, 2011.
Breeding inventory, at 5.82 million head, was up 1 percent from last year,and up slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at59.1 million head, was up 2 percent from last year, but down 2 percent fromlast quarter.
The December 2011-February 2012 pig crop, at 28.7 million head, was up 3 percent from 2011. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.88 million head, up 1 percent from 2011. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 9.97 for the December-February period, compared to 9.80 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.30 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.00 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.
United States hog producers intend to have 2.89 million sows farrow during the March-May 2012 quarter, down 1 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2011, and down 1 percent from 2010. Intended farrowings for June-August 2012, at 2.88 million sows, are down 2 percent from 2011, and
down 2 percent from 2010.
The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 47 percent of the total United States hog inventory, up from 46 percent last year.
Friday March 30, 2012/ NASS-USDA/ United States.
http://usda01.library.cornell.edu/
