WASHINGTON – US egg production totaled 7.85 billion during November 2012, up 3 percent from 2011, according to the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Production included 6.85 billion table eggs and 997 million hatching eggs, of which 930 million were broiler-type and 67 million were egg-type, NASS said. The total number of layers during November gained 2 percent to average 345 million. November egg production per 100 layers was 2,275 eggs, up 1 percent from November a year ago.
All layers on Dec. 1, 2012 totaled 346 million, an increase of 2 percent from last year. The total consisted of 293 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 50.0 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.95 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on Dec. 1 averaged 76.2 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from the comparable year-ago period.
Egg-type chicks hatched during November declined 5 percent to 35.6 million, according to NASS. Eggs in incubators totaled 34.0 million on Dec. 1, 2012, down 15 percent from 2011.
November domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 242,000, up 11 percent from last year, NASS said.
Broiler-type chicks hatched during November declined 1 percent to 693 million. Eggs in incubators climbed 1 percent to 615 million on Dec. 1, according to NASS.
Leading breeders placed 6.77 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during November, down 2 percent from the comparable year-ago period.