October 2023’s total ready-to-cook (RTC) weight clocked in at 4.73 billion pounds, up three percent from the amount certified in October 2022, according to USDA’s November Poultry Slaughter report.
The September 2023 revised certified total at 4.30 billion pounds, was down four percent from September 2022. The September revision represented an increase of 21.5 million pounds from last month’s preliminary pounds certified.
The preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry during October 2023 was 6.23 billion pounds, up three percent from 6.05 billion pounds a year ago. Young chickens inspected totaled 5.52 billion pounds, up three percent from October 2022. Mature chickens, at 71.8 million pounds, were up six percent from the previous year.
Young chickens slaughtered during October 2023 averaged 6.70 pounds per bird, up one percent from October 2022. The average live weight of mature chickens was 6.89 pounds per bird, down four percent from a year ago.
Ante-mortem condemnations during October 2023 totaled 12.3 million pounds. Condemnations were 0.20 percent of the live weight inspected, as compared with 0.21 percent a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations, at 25.3 million pounds, were 0.53 percent of quantities inspected, as compared with 0.56 percent a year earlier.
The full report can be found here.
