The United States hog inventory on December 1, 2025, reached 75.5 million head, up 1 percent from the same date in 2024 and slightly higher than the previous quarter, according to the Hogs and Pigs report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Market hog inventory rose 1 percent to 69.6 million head, while breeding inventory declined 1 percent to 5.95 million head but showed a slight increase from September 2025.
The September-November 2025 pig crop totaled 35 million head, marking a slight increase from 2024. During this period, 2.93 million sows farrowed, representing 49 percent of the breeding herd. The average number of pigs saved per litter was 11.93, nearly unchanged from 11.92 the previous year.
Looking ahead, producers intend to have 2.89 million sows farrow during the December 2025-February 2026 quarter, up 2 percent from a year earlier but down 1 percent from two years ago. For the March-May 2026 quarter, intended farrowings stand at 2.91 million sows, a 2 percent increase from last year but slightly below the same period two years prior.
Contract operations with over 5,000 head accounted for 52 percent of the total U.S. hog inventory, up 2 percent from 2024.
The USDA also revised previous inventory and pig crop estimates for December 2023 through September 2025, reflecting updated slaughter, death loss, and trade data. Notably, the September 2025 hog inventory was revised upward by 1.1 percent.
