December Egg Production Up 2 Percent
United States egg production totaled 8.25 billion during December 2013, up 2 percent from last year. Production included 7.19 billion table eggs, and 1.06 billion hatching eggs, of which 986 million were broiler-type and 75 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during December 2013 averaged 351 million, up 2 percent from last year. December egg production per 100 layers was 2,353 eggs, up slightly from December 2012.
All layers in the United States on January 1, 2014 totaled 350 million, up 2 percent from last year. The 350 million layers consisted of 295 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 52.3 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.02 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on January 1, 2014, averaged 75.6 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from January 1, 2013.
Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Up 5 Percent
Egg-type chicks hatched during December 2013 totaled 38.9 million, up 5 percent from December 2012. Eggs in incubators totaled 38.0 million on January 1, 2014, down 1 percent from a year ago.
Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 354 thousand during December 2013, up 213 percent from December 2012.
Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Up 1 Percent
Broiler-type chicks hatched during December 2013 totaled 771 million, up 1 percent from December 2012. Eggs in incubators totaled 625 million on January 1, 2014, up 2 percent from a year early.
