U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on Sept. 1, 2011, was 66.6 million head. This was up 1% from Sept. 1, 2010, and up 3% from June 1, 2011.
Breeding inventory, at 5.81 million head, was up 1% from last year and up slightly from the previous quarter.
Market hog inventory, at 60.8 million head, was up 1% from last year and up 3% from last quarter.
The June-August 2011 pig crop, at 29.1 million head, was up 1% from 2010 and up 1% from 2009. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.90 million head, down 1% from 2010 and down 2% from 2009. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50% of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record-high 10.03 for the June-August 2011 period, compared to 9.81 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.50 for operations with 1 to 99 hogs and pigs to 10.10 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.
