US egg production up 1 percent

The average number of layers during September 2006 was 343 million, with egg production of 2,165 eggs per 100 layers – both up slightly from last year.

The total number of layers in the US on 1 October 2006 was 343 million, up slightly from last year. The total included 288 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 53.2 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.65 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. The laying rate per day on 1 October averaged 71.7 eggs per 100 layers, which was a slight reduction compared to the same time last year.

Egg-type chicks hatched during September 2006 totalled 36.8 million, up 10 percent from September 2005.  Eggs in incubators totalled 35.2 million on October 1, 2006, up 4 percent from the same time last year.

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totalled 243,000 during September 2006, down 35 percent from September 2005.

Broiler-type chicks hatched during September 2006 totalled 772 million, up slightly from September 2005.  Eggs in incubators totalled 632 million on October 1, 2006, up slightly from a year earlier.

Leading breeders placed 7.06 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during September 2006, down 1 percent from September 2005.