Ohio hog inventory up 6 percent

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio – Ohio hog producers had 1.52 million hogs on hand March 1, up 6 percent from a year earlier and unchanged from last quarter.

The number of market hogs, at 1.36 million head, was up 6 percent from last year and unchanged from last quarter.

Breeding stock, at 160,000 head, was unchanged from last year and from last quarter.

Pig crop. The pig crop during the December-February 2004 quarter numbered 651,000 head, only 1,000 head above last year but unchanged from last quarter.

The number of sows farrowed during the December-February 2004 quarter, at 74,000 was 1,000 head above last year and unchanged from last quarter.

Pigs saved per litter averaged 8.80, down 1 percent for the same period last year, but unchanged from last quarter.

Farrowing. Ohio producers intend to farrow 76,000 sows during the March-May 2004 quarter; 3,000 head more than a year earlier.

Farrowing intentions for the summer quarter, June-August 2004, is 75,000 sows, 2,000 head more from the same quarter of 2003.

Nationwide numbers. U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs March 1 was 59.3 million head. This was 2 percent above March 1, 2003, but 2 percent below December 1, 2003.

Breeding inventory, at 5.92 million head, was down 2 percent from March 1, 2003, and down 1 percent from last quarter.

Market hog inventory, at 53.4 million head, was 2 percent above last year, but 2 percent below last quarter.

Quarterly. The December 2003-February 2004 U.S. pig crop, at 24.9 million head, was 2 percent more than 2003, and up slightly from 2002.

Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.81 million head, 2 percent above last year.

The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 47 percent of the breeding herd.

The average pigs saved per litter was 8.85 for the December 2003-February 2004 period, compared to 8.81 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 2.85 million sows farrow during the March-May 2004 quarter, 1 percent below the actual farrowings during the same period in 2003, and 3 percent below 2002.

Planning ahead. Intended farrowings for June-August 2004, at 2.85 million sows, are 2 percent below the same period in 2003 and 1 percent below 2002.

The total number of hogs under contract, owned by operations with more than 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 38 percent of the total U.S. hog inventory, up from 35 percent last year.