December Egg Production Up 1 Percent - US - U.S. egg production totaled 7.79 billion during December 2005, up 1 percent from last year, report the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in their monthly Chickens and Eggs report.

Production included 6.70 billion table eggs, and 1.09 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.03 billion were broiler-type and 64 million were egg-type. The number of layers during December 2005 averaged 348 million, up 1 percent from a year earlier. December egg production per 100 layers was 2,237 eggs, up slightly from December 2004.

All layers in the U.S. on January 1, 2006, totaled 349 million, up slightly from a year ago. The 349 million layers consisted of 291 million layers producing table-type eggs, 55.6 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.74 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on January 1, 2006, averaged 71.8 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from January 1, 2005.

Egg-Type Chicks Hatched Down 3 Percent

Egg-type chicks hatched during December 2005 totaled 36.2 million, down 3 percent from December 2004. Eggs in incubators totaled 35.5 million on January 1, 2006 up 3 percent from a year ago. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 248,000 during December 2005, up 6 percent from December 2004.

Broiler-Type Chicks Hatched Up 2 Percent

Broiler-type chicks hatched during December 2005 totaled 808 million, up 2 percent from December 2004. Eggs in incubators totaled 661 million on January 1, 2006, up 2 percent from a year earlier.

Leading breeders placed 7.11 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during December 2005, up 5 percent from December 2004.

To view the full report, including tables, please click here

Source: USDA NASS - Chickens and Eggs Report - 24th January 2006