April 28, 2010

US ready-to-cook poultry weight up 5% from last year

USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reports a 5% increase in poultry ready-to-cook (RTC) weights in its monthly Poultry Slaughter report for March 2010 which totalled 3.70 billion pounds.

The preliminary total live weight of poultry inspected during March 2010 was 4.92 billion pounds, up 4% from 4.71 billion pounds a year ago. Young chickens inspected totalled 4.22 billion pounds, up 5% from March 2009. Mature chickens, at 69.6 million pounds, were up 2% from the previous year.

Young chickens slaughtered during March 2010 averaged 5.64 pounds per bird, up 2% from March 2009. The average live weight of mature chickens was 5.46 pounds per bird, down 6% from a year ago.

Ante-mortem condemnations during March 2010 totalled 12.0 million pounds. Condemnations were 0.24% of the live weight inspected, as compared with 0.28% a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations, at 38.5 million pounds, were 1.03% of quantities inspected, as compared with 1.15% a year earlier.