Totaling 5.79 million head, breeding inventory was up slightly from last year and up slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 58.2 million head, was up 1% from last year, but down 1% from last quarter.
Totaling 28 million head, the December 2010-February 2011 pig crop was up 1% from 2010 but down 2% from 2009. During this period, the number of sows farrowing totaled 2.86 million head, down 1% from 2010 and down 5% from 2009. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 49% of the breeding herd. For the December 2010-February 2011 period, the average pigs saved per litter was a record high 9.80, compared to 9.61 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.50 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 9.90 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.
During the March-May 2011 quarter, US hog producers intend to have 2.85 million sows farrow, which is down 3% from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2010, and down 5% from 2009. For June-August 2011, at 2.87 million sows, intended farrowings are down 3% from 2010 and down 3% from 2009.
Hogs under contract owned by operations with more than 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 46% of the total US hog inventory, up from 44% last year.
