Ready-to-Cook Weight Up 2 Percent from Last Year
Poultry certified wholesome during March 2014 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.60 billion pounds, up 2 percent from the amount certified in March 2013. The February 2014 revised certified total at 3.48 billion pounds, was up 3 percent from February 2013. The February revision represented an increase of 364 thousand pounds from last month's preliminary pounds certified.
The preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry during March 2014 was 4.77 billion pounds, up 2 percent from 4.66 billion pounds a year ago. Young chickens inspected totaled 4.11 billion pounds, up 3 percent from March 2013. Mature chickens, at 65.5 million pounds, were up 10 percent from the previous year. Turkey inspections totaled 572 million pounds, down3 percent from a year ago. Ducks totaled 13.9 million pounds, up 1 percent from last year.
Young chickens slaughtered during March 2014 averaged 5.98 pounds per bird, up 2 percent from March 2013. The average live weight of mature chickens was 5.57 pounds per bird, up 6 percent from a year ago. Turkeys slaughtered during March 2014 averaged 31.1 pounds per bird, up slightly from March 2013.
Ante-mortem condemnations during March 2014 totaled 11.0 million pounds. Condemnations were 0.23 percent of the live weight inspected, as compared with 0.22 percent a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations, at 37.8 million pounds, were 1.04 percent of quantities inspected, as compared with 1.06 percent a year earlier.
Source: USDA