U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2010 was 64.4 million head, down 4 percent from June 1, 2009 but up 1 percent from March 1, 2010.

Breeding inventory, at 5.79 million head, was down 3 percent from last year but up slightly from the previous quarter.  Market hog inventory, at 58.6 million head, was down 4 percent from last year but up 1 percent from last quarter.

The March-May 2010 pig crop, at 28.2 million head, was down 3 percent from 2009 and down 2 percent from 2008.  Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.87 million head, down 5 percent from 2009 and down 6 percent from 2008.

The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd.  The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 9.81 for the March-May 2010 period, compared to 9.61 last year.  Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.70 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 9.90 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.89 million sows farrow during the June-August 2010 quarter, down 2 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2009 and down 6 percent from 2008.  Intended farrowings for September-November 2010, at 2.90 million sows, are down 1 percent from 2009 and down 4 percent from 2008.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 44 percent of the total U.S. hog inventory, down from 46 percent last year.