The number of young chickens inspected totaled 4.82 billion pounds, down nine percent from March 2023. The number of mature chickens, at 62.2 million pounds, was down 15 percent from the previous year. The total number of federally inspected poultry during March 2024 was 5.41 billion pounds, down 10 percent from 5.98 billion pounds a year ago.
Poultry-certified wholesome during March 2024 (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 4.10 billion pounds, down 10 percent from the amount certified in March 2023. The February 2024 revised certified total, at 4.22 billion pounds, was up four percent from February 2023. The February revision represented an increase of 8.15 million pounds from last month’s preliminary pounds certified.
The average live weight of young chickens slaughtered during March 2024 was 6.47 pounds per bird, down slightly from March 2023. The average live weight of mature chickens was 6.96 pounds per bird, down slightly from a year ago.
Ante-mortem condemnations during March 2024 totaled 11.4 million pounds. Condemnations were 0.21 percent of the live weight inspected, as compared with 0.22 percent a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations, at 25.7 million pounds, were 0.62 percent of quantities inspected, unchanged from a year earlier.
USDA’s full March Poultry Slaughter report can be found here.
