United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2024 was 75.8 million head. This was up 1 percent from December 1, 2023, but down slightly from September 1, 2024.   

Breeding inventory, at 6.00 million head, was up slightly from last year, but down 1 percent from the previous quarter.

Market hog inventory, at 69.8 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, but down slightly from last quarter. 

The September-November 2024 pig crop, at 35.2 million head, was up 2 percent from 2023. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.96 million head, down slightly from 2023. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 49 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was 11.92 for the September-November period, compared to 11.66 last year. 

United States hog producers intend to have 2.93 million sows farrow during the December 2024-February 2025 quarter, up slightly from the actual farrowings during the same period one year earlier, but down 1 percent from the same period two years earlier. Intended farrowings for March-May 2025, at 2.95 million sows, are up 1 percent from the same period one year earlier, and up slightly from the same period two years earlier. 

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 50 percent of the total United States hog inventory, down 1 percent from the previous year.