June 27, 2023

US poultry production surges in May, led by increased chicken and turkey output

Poultry production in the US increased 8% in May, according to the latest report from the USDA, reaching 4.585 billion pounds compared to the previous year, Brownfield reported.

The rise was driven by a 7% boost in chicken production, which reached 4.085 billion pounds, and a remarkable 18% surge in turkey production, totaling 487.532 million pounds.

Chicken slaughter volumes climbed by 5% from the previous year, reaching 829.837 million head, while turkey slaughter recorded a substantial 15% increase, totaling 19.104 million head.

The average live weights generally exceeded those of the previous year, with the exception of heavyweight chickens and old turkeys. On average, chickens weighed 6.52 pounds per bird, marking a slight increase of 0.1, while turkeys weighed 31.97 pounds, representing a gain of 0.86.

Ante-mortem condemnations slightly decreased compared to last year, reaching 12.313 million pounds, which accounted for 0.20% of the total live weight. Post-mortem condemnations, on the other hand, rose by 5% compared to May 2022, with 27.385 million head being condemned, representing 0.59% of the monthly production.

The USDA is set to release its updated poultry production projection for 2023 on July 12.

-      Brownfield