USDA: U.S. Poultry Slaughter Report

Aug 25, 2010

Ready-to-Cook Weight Down 3 Percent from Last Year

Poultry certified wholesome during July 2010 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.55 billion pounds, down 3 percent from the amount certified in July 2009. The June 2010 revised certified total at 3.68 billion pounds, was up 2 percent from June 2009. The June revision represented an increase of 13.7 million pounds from last month's preliminary pounds certified.

The preliminary total live weight of poultry inspected during July 2010 was 4.71 billion pounds, down 3 percent from 4.84 billion pounds a year ago. Young chickens inspected totaled 4.04 billion pounds, down 2 percent from July 2009. Mature chickens, at 71.7 million pounds, were down 5 percent from the previous year. Turkey inspections totaled 583 million pounds, down 5 percent from a year ago. Ducks totaled 13.0 million pounds, up 1 percent from last year.

Young chickens slaughtered during July 2010 averaged 5.57 pounds per bird, up 1 percent from July 2009. The average live weight of mature chickens was 5.91 pounds per bird, up slightly from a year ago. Turkeys slaughtered during July 2010 averaged 28.6 pounds per bird, up slightly from July 2009.

Ante-mortem condemnations during July 2010 totaled 14.0 million pounds.Condemnations were 0.30 percent of the live weight inspected, as compared with 0.26 percent a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations, at 32.5 million pounds, were 0.91 percent of quantities inspected, as compared with 1.00 percent a year earlier.

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Source: USDA

Video: 2026 T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science - Dan Weary

T.K. Cheung Lecture in Animal Science: "Using science to assess and improve the welfare of dairy cattle"

Dan Weary is a Professor at the University of British Columbia. Dan did his BSc and MSc at McGill and Doctorate at Oxford before co-founding UBC’s Animal Welfare Program where he now co-directs this active research group. His research focuses on understanding the perspectives of animals and applying these insights to develop methods of assessing animal welfare and improving the lives of animals. His work has helped drive changes in practices (including the adoption of higher milk rations for calves and pain management for disbudding) and housing methods (including the adoption of social housing for pre-weaned calves). He also studies cow comfort and lameness, social interactions among cows, and interactions between cows, human handlers and technologies like automated millking systems that are increasingly used on farms. His presentation will outline key questions in cattle welfare, highlight recent UBC research addressing them, and showcase innovative methods for improving the lives of cattle and their caretakers.