U.S. egg production totaled 7.24 billion during February, up 3 percent from 2011 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Production included 6.25 billion table eggs, and 987 million hatching eggs, of which 914 million were broiler-type and 73 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during February averaged 338 million, down slightly from the same time in 2011. February egg production per 100 layers was 2,140 eggs, up 4 percent from February 2011.
All layers in the U.S. on March 1 totaled 339 million, down slightly from 2011 numbers. The 339 million layers consisted of 285 million layers producing table- or market-type eggs, 50.8 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs and 3.1 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on March 1 averaged 74 eggs per 100 layers, up slightly from March 1, 2011.
Egg-type chicks hatched during February totaled 39.3 million, up 5 percent from February 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 39.3 million on March 1, down 2 percent from 2011 numbers. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 238,000 during February, down 2 percent from February 2011.
Broiler-type chicks hatched during February totaled 705 million, down 1 percent from February 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 611 million on March 1, down 5 percent from the same time in 2011. Leading breeders placed 7.03 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during February, down 1 percent from February 2011 numbers.
For more egg information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.
