The US inventory of all hogs and pigs on Sep. 1, was 74.3 million head, the USDA said in its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report Friday.
That was up slightly from Sep. 1, 2022, and up about 2% from June 1, 2023, the USDA said.
Breeding inventory, at 6.08 million head, was down about 1% from last year, and down about 1% from the previous quarter.
Market hog inventory, at 68.2 million head, was up slightly from last year, and up about 2% from last quarter, the report said.
The June-August pig crop, at 34.2 million head, was up slightly from 2022, the USDA said. Sows farrowed during this period totaled 2.95 million head, down about 4% from 2022. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented about 48% of the breeding herd.
The average number of pigs saved per litter was 11.61 for the June-August period, compared with 11.13 last year.
MARKET HOGS UP, BREEDING HERD DOWN
The total number of hogs and pigs in the US on Sep. 1 was 74.319 million head, up 1.575 million, or 2.17%, from 72.744 million on June 1 and up 194,000, or 0.26%, from 74.125 million a year ago.
The number of hogs kept for breeding totaled 6.079 million head, down 67,000, or 1.09%, from 6.146 in the last quarterly report and down 73,000, or 1.19%, from 6.152 million a year ago.
Market hogs on Sep. 1 totaled 68.241 million head, down 1.642 million, or 2.47%, from 66.599 million in the last report but up 268,000, or 0.39%, from 67.973 million last year.
MORE MARKET HOGS
Market hogs weighing less than 50 pounds on Sep. 1 totaled 21.913 million head, down 974,000, or 4.65%, from 20.939 million on June 1 but up 20,000, or 0.09%, from 21.893 million on Sep. 1, 2022.
Those weighing 50 to 119 pounds totaled 19.756 million head, up 873,000, or 4.62%, from 18.883 million in the last report and up 79,000, or 0,40%, from 19.677 million last year.
Market hogs weighing 120 to 179 pounds, totaled 14.110 million head, up 67,000, or 0.48%, from 14.043 million on June 1 and up 97,000, or 0.69%, from 14.013 million on Sep. 1 last year.
Those weighing 180 pounds or more totaled 12.483 million head, down 251,000, or 1.97%, from 12.734 million last quarter but up 93,000, or 0.75%, from 12.390 million last year.
PIG CROP UP
The June-August pig crop totaled 34.229 million head, up 133,000, or 0.39%, from 34.096 million last year and up 285,000, or 0.84%, from 33.944 million in the 2021 quarter.
Those pigs came from 2.949 million farrowings, down from 3.062 million last year and down from 3.050 million two years earlier.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers last week ranged from $182.50 per cwt to $187.80, compared with the previous week’s range of $181.64 to $186.65 per cwt. FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $287.19 per cwt to $292.38, compared with $283.68 to $291.26.
The USDA choice cutout Friday was down $0.73 per cwt at $300.78 while select was off $1.40 at $276.04. The choice/select spread widened to $24.74 from $24.06 with 102 loads of fabricated product and 28 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $1.48 to $1.61 a bushel over the Dec corn contract, which settled at $4.76 3/4 a bushel, down $0.11 3/4.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Thursday was $252.11 per cwt, down $0.09. This compares with Friday’s Oct contract settlement of $252.47, down $2.25.