Over the first seven months of 2011, U.S. turkey meat production was 4.1% higher than during the same period in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Turkey meat production in July alone was 448 million pounds, down 4% from July 2010. This was the first monthly decline in U.S. turkey meat production in 2011. The decrease was chiefly due to the fact that July 2011 had one less slaughter day than July 2010, according to the USDA. The reduced number of slaughter days led to a lower number of turkeys slaughtered, but average weights were actually up slightly. The number of turkeys slaughtered was 19.4 million, a decrease of just over 5% from 2010. The average live weight at slaughter was 29.1 pounds, up 1.8%.
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