News

March poultry production 2% higher

The USDA says poultry production for March was up 2% on the year at 4.169 billion pounds.

Chicken production was 1% higher at 3.627 billion pounds with a 1% increase in the slaughter rate, up to 783.474 million head, and turkey production was up 5% at 530.277 million pounds with a 4% rise in the kill to 21.024 million head.

Average live weights were just about unchanged. All chickens averaged 6.16 pounds per bird and all turkeys averaged 31.47.

For the first quarter of 2017, U.S. poultry production is 11.883 billion pounds, 2% ahead of 2016’s pace.