The ready-to-cook weight certified in February 2025 totaled 4.01 billion pounds, a five-percent decrease from the amount certified the prior year.
The preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry reached 5.29 billion pounds, a five percent decrease from 5.56 billion pounds in February 2024. Of this total, young chickens accounted for 4.79 billion pounds, reflecting a three percent decline from the previous year. Additionally, mature chickens weighed in at 49.1 million pounds, representing a significant 23 percent drop from the same period last year.
Young chickens slaughtered during February 2025 averaged 6.58 pounds per bird, up by one percent from February 2024. The average live weight of mature chickens was 6.77 pounds per bird, down four percent from a year ago.
Ante-mortem condemnations during February 2025 totaled 12.6 million pounds. Condemnations were 0.24 percent of the live weight inspected, compared to 0.22 percent a year earlier. Post-mortem condemnations, at 24.3 million pounds, were 0.60 percent of quantities inspected compared to 0.63 percent a year earlier.
The full report from March 2025 can be found here.
