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March poultry production down 4% on year

The USDA says March 2018 poultry production was 4.021 billion pounds, a decline of 4% from the year ago total of 4.170 billion pounds. The preliminary live weight of all poultry was 5.313 billion pounds, also 4% lower than last year.

There was one fewer work day in March 2018 than in March 2017 and slaughter numbers were down for chickens and turkeys, while average weights were slightly heavier. The chicken kill was 752.579 million head, 4% lower, with turkeys at 19.049 million, down 1%, while ducks were essentially unchanged at 2.352 million head. All chickens averaged 6.24 pounds per bird, up .08, turkeys averaged 31.62, an increase of .15, and ducks averaged 7.01 pounds, .05 higher.

Ante-mortem condemnations were 13.159 billion pounds or 0.25% of the preliminary live weight, and post-mortem condemnations were 37.875 million pounds, or 0.93% of total monthly production.

For the year to date, U.S. poultry production is 11.993 billion pounds, up 1% on the year, with a 1% increase for chicken and 3% rise for ducks cancelling out a 2% decline in turkeys.

U.S. poultry stocks in cold storage have notched record highs several times over the past few months because of high domestic production levels and generally slow demand.

The USDA’s next set of supply and demand numbers, including updated poultry production estimates, is out May 10th.

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