USDA’s November 2024 Poultry Slaughter report indicated that the total ready-to-cook (RTC) weight for poultry certified wholesome increased by four percent from the prior month and two percent from last year.
The preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry during October 2024 was 6.47 billion pounds, up four percent from 6.24 billion pounds a year ago. Young chickens inspected totaled 5.77 billion pounds, up four percent from October 2023. Mature chickens, at 66.5 million pounds, were down eight percent from the previous year.
Young chickens slaughtered during October 2024 averaged 6.7 pounds per bird, which was unchanged from October 2023. The average live weight of mature chickens was 7.02 pounds per bird, an increase of two percent from a year ago.
Ante-mortem condemnations during October 2024 totaled 12.3 million pounds. Condemnations were 0.19 percent of the live weight inspected. Post-mortem condemnations, at 28.6 million pounds, were 0.58 percent of quantities inspected. The percent was 0.53 the prior year.
USDA’s full report can be found here.
