August 26, 2013

US egg production has risen 3% in July 2013, at 7.97 billion compared to the same period last year, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Production included 6.88 billion table eggs and 1.09 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.01 billion were broiler-type and 77 million were egg-type, NASS reported. Total layers during July averaged 344 million, a 2% increase from last year. July egg production per 100 layers increased slightly to 2,313 eggs.

All layers in 2013 totalled 345 million on August 1, up 3% from 2012. The total consisted of 289 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 52.6 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.15 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs, according to NASS. Rate of lay per day on August 1 declined slightly to an average of 74.5 eggs per 100 layers.

Egg-type chicks hatched for July 2013 totalled 38.5 million, up 8% from July 2012. Eggs in incubators declined 8% to 35.4 million on August 1.

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totalled 272,000, a slight increase compared to June 2012, NASS said.

Broiler-type chicks hatched in July gained 2% to a total of 782 million. Eggs in incubators totalled 626 million on August 1, up 2% from a year ago.

Leading breeders placed 6.57 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during July, an increase of 8% from July 2012, NASS reported.