LIVESTOCK HIGHLIGHTS 



CAHLE AND CALVES 



Cattle and calves on Massachusetts fanns totaled 103,000 head on January 1, 1981, down 1 percent from the 

 total inventot7 on January 1, 1980. Although the numbers are 7 percent below the inventory of January 1, 

 1970, it remains 4 percent above the number on hand at the beginning of 1978, the lowest number in the past 

 decade. Dairying is the primary livestock industry in the state with milk cows comprising 43 percent of 

 the total inventory while calves under 500 pounds make up 23 percent. 



Beef cows that calved on January 1, 1981 at 10,000 head were unchanged from January 1, 1980, but beef 

 replacement heifers, 500 pounds and over at 4,000 head, were up 1,000 head from January 1, 1980. Steers 

 500 pounds and over at 4,000 head, were up 1,000 head from the same period the previous year. The value 

 of the cattle and calve inventory climbed close to $81 million, almost $10 million more than the previous 

 year. This is attributed to the continued rise of the value per head to a record high level of $785. 



The 1980 calf crop in the Conwnonwealth totaled 45,000 calves, 2,000 less than during 1979 and the lowest 

 number in the past decade. The number of calves born have been declining steadily since 1972 when 60,000 

 head were born. 



Cash receipts from marketings of cattle and calves in 1980 totaled $10.3 million, 19 percent below 1979, 

 but 50 percent above 1970. There were 17.9 million pounds marketed in 1980, compared with 21.8 million 

 in 1979 and 31.5 million in 1970. Although the average price per hundredweight was lower in 1980 than in 

 1979, it was more than double the average price in 1970. 



HOGS AND PIGS 



The inventory of hogs and pigs on farms totaled 49,000 head on December 1, 1980, down 18 percent from 

 December 1, 1979 and the smallest of record. The inventory included 14 percent breeding animals and 86 

 percent of animals intended for market. The value of the December 1, 1980 inventory totaled $3.7 million, 

 up 10 percent from December 1, 1979, but down 20 percent from December 1, 1978. The averaae value Per head 

 was $74.50 on December 1, 1980, up from the $55.50 on January 1, 1979 and the $76.50 on January 1, 1978. 



The 1980 pig crop at 65,000 head was down 20 percent from the 81,000 pigs in 1979. Sows' farrowing for 

 the year at 10,000 head, were down 2,500 from the 12,500 sows that farrowed in 1979. The litter size in 

 1980 averaged 6.5, unchanged from 1979. The spring (December-May) pig crop for 1980 totaled 30,000, 



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