Ohio hog inventory up from last quarter

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – Ohio hog producers had over 1.5 million hogs on hand Dec. 1, up 2 percent from a year earlier, and 6 percent above last quarter.

The number of market hogs, at 1.34 million head, was up 2 percent from last year and 6 percent above last quarter. Breeding stock, at 170,000 head, remained the same as last year, but up 6 percent from last quarter.

The pig crop during the September-November 2000 quarter numbered 655,000 head, up 2 percent from last year, but 1 percent below last quarter.

The number of sows farrowed during the September-November 2000 quarter at 74,000 was the same as last year, but 1,000 below last quarter.

Pigs saved per litter averaged 8.85, and was up from the same period last year, and unchanged from last quarter.

Ohio producers intend to farrow 79,000 sows during the December-February quarter, 4,000 head more than a year earlier. Farrowing intentions for the spring quarter, March-May 2001, is 77,000 sows, 2,000 head more than the same quarter of 2000.

U.S. inventory of hogs and pigs Dec. 1 was 59.8 million head. This was 1 percent above December 1999, but slightly below Sept. 1, 2000.

Breeding inventory, at 6.28 million head, was up 1 percent from December 1999 and up slightly from September 2000.

Market hog inventory, at 53.6 million head, was 1 percent above last year, but slightly below last quarter.

The September-November 2000 U.S pig crop, at 25.5 million head, was 2 percent more than 1999, but 1 percent less than 1998. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.88 million head, 1 percent above last year. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 46 percent of the breeding herd.

The average pigs per litter was 8.88 pigs saved per litter for the September-November period, compared to 8.79 pigs last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.60 for operations with 1-99 hogs to 9.00 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.91 million sows farrow during the December 2000-February 2001 quarter, 4 percent above the actual farrowings during the same period in 2000, and 1 percent above 1999.

Intended farrowings for March-May 2001, at 2.92 million sows, are 1 percent above the same period in 2000, but down 2 percent from 1999.