TL;DR:
- Turkey’s production saw a 2.9% rise in 2023, reaching 214 million birds.
- Duck numbers also went up by 4.9%, totalling 28 million.
- Chicken production remained steady at 9.5 billion birds, with a decrease in the amount condemned before the market.
In 2023, the poultry industry witnessed modest growth in turkey and duck production, as detailed in the latest USDA annual report. Turkey’s numbers experienced a slight increase of 2.9%, amounting to 214 million birds for the year. Ducks followed suit, with their population rising by 4.9% to reach 28 million.
Contrastingly, chicken production remained constant, with the total count holding steady at 9.5 billion birds. However, there was a notable improvement in the quality of chickens reaching the market. According to the Poultry Slaughter summary, there was a 5.8% reduction in chickens condemned before reaching the market, dropping to 138 million pounds.
This indicates a decrease in the number of chickens deemed unfit for consumption before slaughter. Meanwhile, the figures for turkey and duck condemnation before market distribution stayed relatively unchanged from the previous year, recorded at 20.4 million and 1.1 million pounds, respectively.
This data provides valuable insights into the trends and health standards within the poultry industry, highlighting slight shifts in production and market readiness of turkey, duck, and chicken in 2023.
