Turkeys Raised in 2003 Up 1 Percent from 2002
US - Turkeys raised in the United States during 2003 totaled 274 million birds, up 1 percent from the 272 million raised in 2002, report the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
12 January 2004
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Turkey Growers Plan 4 Percent Decrease in 2004
Turkey growers in 23 States intend to decrease the number of birds raised by 4 percent in
2004. These states produced over 99% of the turkeys raised in 2003. Intentions for the top
seven producing States compared with 2003 are as follows: Minnesota down 4 percent,
North Carolina down 11 percent, Arkansas down 2 percent, Missouri down 4 percent,
Virginia down 4 percent, California down 7 percent, and South Carolina unchanged.
The number of turkeys actually raised in 2004 may vary from growers' intentions shown in
this report depending on feed costs, supply of hatching eggs, cost of poults, and prices
growers receive for turkeys during the next few months.
Number Raised in 2002 and 2003¹
1 Revised.
2 CO, DE (2003), KS, NE, OK, OR, TX, UT, and WI combined to avoid disclosing individual operations.
Death Loss by Geographical Region
and United States, 2001-2003
United States, 1993-2003
Turkeys Raised Estimates
Survey Procedures: Survey data for the turkeys raised estimate are collected from a list of
contractors and independent growers during December. States use all known sources of producer
names to ensure that the list is as complete as possible. Turkey producers are then contacted either by mail, telephone, or in person. Diligent effort is made to ensure that all operations are accounted for in the estimate.
Estimation Procedures: Turkeys raised estimates include young turkeys intended for meat
production, as well as breeder turkeys which reached maturity during the calendar year. These
estimates exclude turkeys lost to disease or those destroyed. Placements of turkey poults from the
Monthly Turkey Hatchery Survey provide the basis for the preliminary estimates published in
August. Final estimates, published in January, use indications from the December Growers Survey
in addition to updated hatchery data. Other indications for the final estimates are obtained from
monthly slaughter totals and check-off data provided by individual State turkey or poultry
associations.
Generally, individual State data are not published if there are less than three operations in a State, or if any one operation has 60 percent or more of the total turkeys in the State. These data are combined into the "Other States" category.
Reliability: Turkeys raised estimates are based on a census of known active producers and,
therefore, have no sampling variability. However, estimates may be subject to errors such as
omissions, duplication, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing of the data. These
errors are minimized through strict quality controls in the edit and summarization process, and a
careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness.
Revision Policy: Estimates for the previous year are subject to revision when preliminary raised
estimates are made in August. Revisions are primarily based on updated hatchery and slaughter
data, and at the U.S. level, are usually less than one-half of one percent of the final estimate
published in January. Estimates are also reviewed after data from the Census of Agriculture are
available. No revisions are made after that date.
To view the full report, including tables, please click here
Source: USDA NASS - Turkeys Raised Report - 9th January 2004
