US egg production totalled 7.55 billion during April, 1% more than the same month last year, according to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in their monthly Chickens and Eggs report.

 

Production included 6.47 billion table eggs, and 1.08 billion hatching eggs, of which one billion were broiler-type and 74 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during April 2010 averaged 340 million, down slightly from last year. April egg production per 100 layers was 2,220 eggs, up 1% from April 2009.

 

All layers in the US on May 1, 2010 totalled 338 million, down slightly from last year. The 338 million layers consisted of 279 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 56.2 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.99 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs.

 

Egg-type chicks hatched during April 2010 totalled 47.5 million, up 11% from April 2009. Eggs in incubators totalled 41.6 million on May 1, 2010, also up 1% from a year ago.

 

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totalled 232,000 during April 2010, down 24% from April 2009.

 

Broiler-type chicks hatched during April 2010 totalled 767 million, up 1% from April 2009. Eggs in incubators totalled 643 million on May 1, 2010, up 2% from a year earlier.

 

Leading breeders placed 6.54 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during April 2010, up 5% from April 2009.