October Egg Production Up 2 Percent

By CnAgri Print

U.S. egg production totaled 7.90 billion during October 2012, up 2 percent from last year. The USDA says production included 6.88 billion table eggs, and 1.02 billion hatching eggs, of which 952 million were broiler-type and 69 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during October 2012 averaged 340 million, up 1 percent from last year. October egg production per 100 layers was 2,321 eggs, up slightly from October 2011.

All layers in the U.S. on November 1 totaled 342 million, up 2 percent from last year. The 342 million layers consisted of 291 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 49.1 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.82 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on November 1, 2012, averaged 75.4 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from November 1, 2011.

Egg-type chicks hatched during October 2012 totaled 39.1 million, up 4 percent from October 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 35.0 million on November 1, 2012, down 7 percent from a year ago.

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 196 thousand during October 2012, down 26 percent from October 2011.