Production of young meat chicken (broilers) under federal inspection last year totaled 49.55 billion pounds, liveweight, 0.5 percent more than the 49.31 billion pounds, liveweight, in 2010, according to USDA’s “Poultry Slaughter 2011 Summary” issued today by the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Almost 8.54 billion broilers were slaughtered in 2011, 1.3 percent less than the 8.65 billion in 2010.  Average live weight for broilers last year was 5.80 pounds, 1.8 percent over the 2010 average of 5.70 pounds.  Pounds certified as wholesome by USDA for broilers last year totaled 37.20 billion pounds, ready-to-cook (R.T.C.) weight, 0.8 percent more than the 36.91 billion pounds certified in 2010.  The liveweight-to-R.T.C. weight yield in 2011 was 75.1 percent compared with 74.8 percent in 2010.

Ante-mortem condemnations for broiler in 2011 was 0.21 percent (pounds condemned as a percent of liveweight pounds inspected).  By comparison, the rate in 2011 was 0.23 percent.  Postmortem condemnations for broilers last year was 0.80 percent (pounds condemned as a percent of pounds certified plus postmortem condemnation).  In 2010, the comparable rate was 0.79 percent.  For all poultry (chicken, turkeys, ducks, and others) total liveweight last  year was 57.82 billion pounds, 0.8 percent above the 57.35 billion pounds in 2010.