January 3, 2011
US state's December hogs, pigs lower against last year
The total hog and pig inventory of Michigan was projected at 1.04 million heads on December 1, decreasing by 40,000 heads from a year ago, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office.
Breeding hog inventory, at 110,000 head, was unchanged from last December. Market hog inventory, at 930,000 head, was down 4% from last year.
US inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, was 64.3 million head. This was down 1% from December 1, 2009, and down 2% from September 1, 2010. Breeding inventory, at 5.78 million head, was down 1% from last year, but up slightly from the previous quarter.
Market hog inventory, at 58.5 million head, was down 1% from last year, and down 2% from last quarter.
The September-November 2010 pig crop, at 28.2 million head, was down slightly from 2009. Sows farrowing during this period totalled 2.85 million head, down 2% from 2009. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 49% of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 9.89 for the September-November 2010 period, compared to 9.70 last year.
Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.70 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.
US hog producers intend to have 2.86 million sows farrow during the December 2010-February 2011 quarter, down 1% from the actual farrowings during the December 2009-February 2010 quarter, and down 5% from December 2008-February 2009 quarter. Intended farrowings for March-May 2011, at 2.86 million sows, are down 2% from 2010 and down 5% from 2009.
