December 23, 2004

US Egg Production Rise 2% in November

US egg production totaled 7.46 billion during November 2004, rising 2 percent from last year. Production included 6.42 billion table eggs, and 1.04 billion hatching eggs, of which 980 million were broiler-type and 59 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during November 2004 averaged 343 million, up 2 percent from a year earlier.

November egg production per 100 layers was 2,170 eggs, up slightly from November 2003.

All layers in the US on December 1, 2004, totaled 343 million, up 1 percent from a year ago. The 343 million layers consisted of 285 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 54.9 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.51 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on December 1, 2004, averaged 72.8 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from a year ago.

Laying flocks in the 30 major egg producing States produced 6.98 billion eggs during November 2004, up 2 percent from a year ago. The average number of layers during November, at 321 million, was up 2 percent from a year ago.

Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Up 27 Percent
 

Egg-type chicks hatched during November totaled 38.4 million, up 27 percent from November 2003. Eggs in incubators totaled 35.9 million on December 1, 2004, up 10 percent from a year ago.

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 225,000 during November 2004, down 29 percent from November 2003.

Broiler Hatch Up 3 Percent
 

The November 2004 hatch of broiler-type chicks, at 731 million, was up 3 percent from November of the previous year. There were 645 million eggs in incubators on December 1, 2004, up 1 percent from a year earlier.

Leading breeders placed 7.01 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during November 2004, up 1 percent from November 2003.