Turkey producers have continued to respond to relatively poor returns by placing fewer poults than in the prior year in the month of March. According to USDA data, 9% fewer poults were hatched in March 2009 than were hatched in the same month last year.
Traditionally, poults placed after September 1 of the prior year until the end of August the market year are considered to make up all of the placements for the market or calendar year. Turkeys placed for the first seven months of the market year 2009, from September 1, 2008 until the end of March 2009, were 10% fewer in number than for the same period in market year 2008.
