The average live weight of mature chickens was 7.01 pounds per bird, down four percent from a year ago. In general, all metrics in the report are lower this month than they were the previous year.
Poultry certified wholesome during August 2023 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 4.71 billion pounds, down slightly from the amount certified in August 2022. The July 2023 revised certified total at 4.21 billion pounds, was up two percent from July 2022. The July revision represented an increase of 11.2 million pounds from last month’s preliminary pounds certified.
The preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry during August 2023 was 6.20 billion pounds, down one percent from 6.24 billion pounds a year ago. Young chickens inspected totaled 5.50 billion pounds, down two percent from August 2022. Mature chickens, at 72.5 million pounds, were down six percent from the previous year.
Young chickens slaughtered during August 2023 averaged 6.46 pounds per bird, down slightly from August 2022. The average live weight of mature chickens was 7.02 pounds per bird, down four percent from a year ago.
Ante-mortem condemnations during August 2023 totaled 15.2 million pounds. Condemnations were 0.25 percent of the live weight inspected, as compared with 0.23 percent a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations, at 26.3 million pounds, were 0.55 percent of quantities inspected, as compared with 0.56 percent a year earlier.
The full report can be found here.
