Antibiotic-free broiler production is sustainable

Dr. David Wicker, live operations vp, Fieldale Farms challenged broiler company managers to change their way of thinking and develop a can do attitude regarding antibiotic-free production. 
Dr. David Wicker, live operations vice president, Fieldale Farms, said, “I hear a lot that the growers are the major problem with ABF (antibiotic-free) production. No, they are not.”
He told the attendees at a panel discussion on antibiotic-free poultry and livestock production at the Alltech Symposium in Lexington, Kentucky, that the real problem starts with executives and managers at integrated companies who are stubborn and can’t see another way to do things.
“It starts out here right in this room. We have to change a lot of thinking and develop a can-do attitude,” he said.
Fieldale started antibiotic-free broiler production in the 1996-97 timeframe, according to Wicker. He said Fieldale now raises all of its broilers in the antibiotic-free program.
“It is best to start at a small level, because the first three years there is a steep learning curve,” Wicker said. “You can easily lose five to 10 points of feed conversion and most companies will have trouble maintaining flock mortality rates at 10 percent or less.”


Antibiotic-free production is humane, efficient and sustainable
“Is antibiotic-free production doable? The answer is yes, we have been doing it for 18 years,” he said. “We have very few treated flocks, and we are American Humane Association approved. For your first few years, you will have to treat lots of flocks. Later on, you will treat fewer of them.”
Wicker said McDonald’s announcement of the company’s intention to only purchase chicken that has not been treated with antibiotics used in human medicine has really changed the landscape for broiler production in the U.S. He said that if a company wants to get into antibiotic-free production then it better have “extremely good feed quality and consistency.”
“Are we sustainable? The answer is yes,” Wicker said. “We recently moved to Category A in the Global Reporting Initiative.” The Global Reporting Initiative is an internationally recognized sustainability initiative.
“Can antibiotic-free production be done efficiently, can it be done humanely? The answer to both is yes. I will remind everyone that all animals were raised antibiotic-free prior to the 1950s, because they were not around,” he said.


Pork producer addressing customer requests
Commenting on antibiotic-free and other specialty pork production alternatives, Doug Clemens, CEO, Clemens Family Corporation, said, “The requests keep coming in from our customer group every day. We take the approach of learning, testing and verifying.” Clemens Family Corporation owns Hatfield Quality Meats, a pork processor, and Country View Family Farms, a swine production company.
Clemens was asked by a member of the audience what would happen to producers if they “caved in” to every consumer/customer request? Clemens replied, “We aren’t caving in to what the consumer/customer says they want. We start out by asking, 'Can we do it in a way that is different from the way we have done it in the past, while keeping animal welfare at the top of the pyramid?' If we don’t think we can do something, we have to ask why.”
“We have been asked to do a lot of things by customers that we haven’t done,” Clemens said. “We will not do it until we can prove that it is sustainable.”
Hatfield processes 5,000 head of swine per week in the Never Ever 3 program. Never Ever 3 is a marketing claim for livestock and meat products that is part of USDA’s Process Verified program. For meat to be sold with Never Ever 3 on the product label it has to come from animals that have never received antibiotics, growth promoters or animal byproducts. 

Poultry webinar offers tips on using phytase in broiler diets

Genetic selection for growth has ensured that broiler growth rates have more than doubled over the past 40 years. However, the rapid rate of growth required to minimize the cost of meat does not allow for complete bone mineralization. This means skeletal integrity can be compromised across the flock, impacting productivity and efficiency during processing.
Register at www1.gotomeeting.com/register/112328880 to attend the webinar, "Optimizing calcium/phosphorous contribution and skeletal integrity through phytase use in broiler diets," sponsored by DuPont and presented by WATT Global Media, on April 8 at 8 a.m. CDT.
Poultry nutritionists, broiler research and development and operations directors, veterinarians, production managers, purchasing directors, and commercial directors in poultry integration and feed mill companies worldwide should attend the webinar to learn more about the requirement and functional role of dietary calcium and available phosphorus in bone development and performance in broilers. Recent research focused on bone modeling will be cited. The webinar also will discuss the importance of establishing robust estimates of calcium and phosphorus contributions from different phytase products, and how these affect bone mineralization and function. Other topics that will be covered include how calcium levels and calcium sources can alter the efficacy of phytate P, cause metabolic imbalances, and alter phytase efficacy and matrix values in practice.

Speakers at the broiler diet webinar
Dr. Doug Korver and Dr. Peter Plumstead will be the webinar's featured speakers.
Korver holds a BSc. in agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan, an M.Sc. from the University of Delaware, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. In addition to undertaking practical research on feed quality and supplement evaluation in poultry diets, he is also focused on nutrition-immune function interactions and has a specialty in poultry bone biology. He has had more than 45 peer-reviewed articles published in journals and has achieved more than 570 peer-reviewed citations.  Korver currently teaches introductory animal nutrition and poultry nutrition courses at the undergraduate level, and is a co-instructor for graduate-level courses in advanced animal metabolism and advanced feed science and technology.
Plumstead holds an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in nutrition and poultry science from North Carolina State University, where his primary research focused on amino acid and phosphorus nutrition of broilers and broiler breeders. Prior to joining academia, Plumstead was engaged at Danisco Animal Nutrition (part of DuPont), where he was responsible for application research and development of enzyme products for pigs and poultry. In addition to his work with enzymes, Plumstead also has several years of commercial experience in the feed industry, having worked as a senior nutritionist within the Meadow Feeds Group (South Africa).

Mexico broiler production may reach 3 million metric tons in 2013

Mexico's broiler production could reach 2.975 million metric tons in 2013, in spite of recent H7N3 avian influenza outbreaks, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's International Egg and Poultry Review.
For 2012, production estimates decreased from 2.965 million metric tons to 2.958 million metric tons. In 2011, production hit 2.906 million metric tons.
Since the first avian influenza outbreak in 2012, Mexico has reported 53 outbreaks and the slaughter of more than 5 million birds, according to reports. Government officials say that measures have been taken to contain any further disease outbreaks. In May, The Mexican Food Safety Agency, SENASICA, removed hazardous materials, bird feed and cages from an affected farm in the state of Puebla. It also inspected 271 other poultry processing plants and farms and has not found any further evidence of outbreaks.

Broiler chicken app wins award

Debra Malcolm accepts the Pig and Poultry Marketing award for Aviagen.

The Ross App saw success at the UK Pig and Poultry Marketing Awards, held on May 9. Ross is one of the brands of broiler breeder available through poultry producer, Aviagen.
The application, which was launched in the UK last year and in Europe earlier this year, covers the Ross European Performance Objectives for Ross 308, Ross 708 and Ross PM3 birds. It also has a built-in European Performance Efficiency Factor calculator and other tools, including a unit convertor which incorporates industry-specific calculations.
The app won an award for providing information in a mobile format. The judges commented that "this initiative showed excellent innovation and simple, effective, and well planned use of technology."
Debra Malcolm, assistant marketing manager for Aviagen, accepted the award from Nigel Lodge, national veterinary manager for Zoetis. Malcolm said, "We're delighted to receive this award. The app has been a real boost to our customers, providing a safe, easy-to-access tool that they can carry in their pocket. It is great that the judges have recognized this Aviagen innovation."
The IOS version is available to download from the Apple app store. The Android version can be obtained through Google Play. The desktop and Mac versions can be downloaded via the Aviagen website.

Zimbabwe broiler production grows by more than 500 percent

The poultry and pig industries in Zimbabwe have recorded significant growth during the past four years due to increases in small operations production, according to Agriculture, Mechanization and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made. Broiler production had grown by more than 500 percent while egg production grew by 300 percent.
"Small to medium scale producers now account for two-thirds of the broiler producers and nearly half of the egg producers," said Made. "In the same period, pig slaughters increased by 31 percent to 141,000 pigs in 2012."
Made said this development addressed dietary diversification recommendations under the country's recently launched Food Security and Nutrition Policy, allAfrica.com reported. He said that the poultry and pig industries have also contributed meaningfully to the gross domestic product, as poultry production added $357 million and the pig industry contributed $39 million to the gross domestic product.
"Close to 82 percent of all stock feeds produced in the country are consumed in the poultry and pig industries making the combined two subsectors the mainstay of the feed industry," he said.
The growth of the sectors has resulted in job creation; however, the uptick in poultry and swine production has created a feed shortage and has made Zimbabwe more reliant on imports, said Made. 

Sanderson Farms broiler production complex more than chicken feed

What's the economic value of the Sanderson Farms chicken production and processing facilities in Kinston, N.C.? Mark Pope, executive director of Lenoir County Economic Development, ticked off the numbers for the news media attending the Chicken Media Summit in nearby New Bern.
"All together the economic impact [of the Sanderson Farms chicken complex] amounts to about $62.8 million annually," said Pope. "That revenue and disposable income rolls over five to seven times in the local communities and the state."
Sanderson Farms' investment in the complex in eastern North Carolina and Kinston amounted to $123.4 million, while contract broiler farmers invested another $100 million in grow-out facilities.


News media take a tour of a Sanderson Farms broiler grower operation.
• The 1,562 hourly and 125 salaried jobs created generate an annual payroll of $38.5 million.
• The 84 grow-out contracts yield an estimated $24 million annually to area farmers.
Citing Sanderson Farms' role as a corporate partner in eastern North Carolina, including the company's involvement in workforce training, Pope said, "We are most appreciative to Sanderson Farms for what they have brought to our community."
Media members toured the broiler complexes' hatchery, feed mill, processing plant and wastewater treatment facility on April 18 as part of the Chicken Media Summit, which is sponsored by the National Chicken Council and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. 

Advice for layer, breeder sectors now offered by company

Jansen Poultry Equipment has recently began offering guidance and advice to farmers in the rearing, layer and breeder sector of the poultry industry, in addition to the similar service it has already offered to broiler producers.
The advice given to increase the results of poultry businesses are focused on every individual situation. An analysis of the house data and the management will often give quick insight where additional profit can be gained. An increased number of hatching eggs, reduction of the amount of floor eggs or the rearing of perfectly trained laying hens are examples of improvements that increase the business results.
Sometimes small changes in the supply of food, water and light can already ensure that chickens perform better. Every situation requests its own research methods to uncover bottlenecks. On the basis of an analysis, there can be decided which actions are need to be taken to eliminate the bottleneck that affects the production results. The poultry farmer receives a report with recommendations and, if necessary, he can also appeal to personal guidance until the results are and stay optimal. 

Al Watania, Cobb extend partnership in Saudi Arabia

Al Watania Poultry, the largest broiler producer in the Middle East, has signed an agreement with Cobb Europe for the establishment of a grandparent operation in Saudi Arabia to supply its own broiler breeder requirements.
This operation will be initially designed to produce and hatch two million Cobb500 parent stock per year. With this agreement Al Watania and Cobb strengthen their partnership which exists in both Saudi Arabia and in Egypt, where Al Watania produces over 4.5 million Cobb500 parent stock per year and has helped Cobb in becoming the market leader for the last four years.
The contracts were exchanged between Al Watania’s chief executive officer Dr Mohammed Al-Rahji and Cobb Europe’s sales and technical director Pelayo Casanovas. Also present for Al Watania were chief finance officer Essam Al-Hodeithy and Eng Rabea, grandparent general manager, and for Cobb Mohammed Chail, Middle East business development manager.
“We admire Sheikh Suleiman and Dr Mohammed Al-Rahji for their continued commitment to supply high quality, affordable chicken meat to the Middle East,” said Mr Casanovas. “With this agreement we strengthen a partnership that will maintain Al Watania and Cobb as key players in this market.”
Al Watania currently produces a total of 4.6 million broilers per week, has a well-recognized brand and continues to find opportunities to grow in other parts of the Middle East.
“The organisation has great confidence in the economic advantages of the Cobb500 package, which delivers benefits to every level of the integration and currently represents over 80 percent of the volume of chickens produced by its operations in Saudi Arabia and Egypt,” said Mr Casanovas.
“Al Watania has been a loyal supporter of Cobb for more than 15 years. I delivered the first broiler hatching eggs and first breeders when they were starting in poultry business 30 years ago, and I am delighted to see them grow to become the leader today” added Mohammed Chail.

USDA economist says broiler production will drop if drought persists

USDA Chief Economist Joesph Glauber is expecting 2013 to be a near-record year for both corn and soybean production, but he adds that if the drought persists and his projection is wrong, broiler production will likely drop.
“Another year of below trend yields and high prices would likely result in further liquidation of broiler numbers,” Glauber said during the USDA Agricultural Outlook Forum 2013 on February 21.
His most recent outlook was nearly identical to the one he gave one year ago, before drought hit most of the grain-producing states and sent prices skyward. While he acknowledged his projections did not pan out in 2012, he has doubts that the feed crops will have two poor years in a row.
“Historical odds favor a rebound in crop yields, however, which should bring significantly lower prices in 2013,” said Glauber.
Those lower prices will take the pressure off of feed costs, bringing needed relief to poultry growers.
High grain and oilseed prices support another year of large plantings for wheat, corn and soybeans, Glauber said. Combined acreage for those crops topped 230 million acres in 2012, the highest since 1982. Glauber said those planted acres will likely approach similar levels for 2013.
A return to more normal spring weather should result in more soybeans and slightly less corn planted in 2013, he said. Corn planted is projected at 96.5 million acres, down slightly from last year’s 75-year high. Soybean acreage is projected at 77.5 million acres, which, if realized, would equal the record-high level reached in 2009.
Assuming normal weather conditions for spring planting and summer crop development, the USDA is projecting a return to trend yields, resulting in record crops for corn and soybeans.

Thailand broiler exports expected to grow in 2013

Despite the outlook of a decline in broiler meat production in 2013, Thailand’s broiler meat exports should grow 7 percent to 580,000 metric tons, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Most of the growth is expected to take place in markets other than the EU and Japan, including ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries Hong Kong, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and South Africa. The EU and Japan will remain Thailand’s major markets, accounting for about 75–80 percent of total exports. Thailand could dramatically increase its exports of uncooked chicken meat if Japan and South Korea lift their bans on the import of uncooked Thai broiler meat, according to the USDA. Countries that have already lifted their highly pathogenic avian influenza bans on Thai uncooked frozen chicken meat include the EU, Hong Kong, South Africa, Bahrain and Russia.
Based on the export performance of the first half of 2012 and the fact that the EU lifted its ban on Thai uncooked broiler meat, total chicken meat exports are unofficially estimated to reach 540,000 metric tons, up 15 percent from the 2011 level. Thailand is expected to export 40,000–50,000 metric tons of uncooked products to the EU in the second half of 2012, thus increasing total exports of uncooked products to 100,000–110,000 metric tons. The remaining exports (430,000–440,000 metric tons) consist of cooked products.
Since the EU lifted its ban of Thai uncooked broiler meat, Thailand gained about 92,610 metric tons of the EU’s quota for uncooked salted poultry meat and 5,100 metric tons for the uncooked unsalted poultry meat. The in-quota tariff rate is 15.4 percent, while the out of quota rate will be €1,300/ton, according to the USDA.

Sub-Saharan Africa broiler meat production, consumption up in 2012

In 2012, broiler meat production in Sub-Saharan Africa has risen 8 percent since 2008 and 40 percent since 2002, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's International Egg & Poultry Review. Total domestic broiler meat consumption in 2012 in most Sub-Saharan Africa countries has increased by a projected 26 percent since 2008 and 91 percent since 2002.
Meanwhile, the region's estimated total turkey meat production has increased 14 percent since 2008 and 167 percent since 2002. Domestic consumption of turkey meat in Sub-Saharan Africa over the last five years has also been increasing, after decreasing several years, bringing turkey meat consumption in 2012 equal to consumption in 2008. Despite the decline to 2012, turkey meat consumption is estimated to have risen 138 percent since 2002, but still remains below the region's 110-year high in 2007 of 47,000 metric tons.
Thanks to increasing domestic poultry meat production, Sub-Saharan Africa's real gross domestic product has grown 5 to 6 percent in recent years. Although food imports have been increasing in most countries, the region primarily relies on domestic production to supply its food for consumption.
When comparing world regions for U.S. cumulative total poultry exports for the period January through July, Sub-Saharan Africa ranked fifth in broiler meat and turkey meat. From January through July, U.S. cumulative total broiler meat exports for 2012 have risen 10 percent over 2011 and 357 percent over 2002 during the same period. U.S. turkey meat cumulative total exports have risen 72 percent over 2011 and 186 percent over 2002 during the same period. 

Japan broiler production estimated up 3 percent in 2012

Japan's broiler production is expected to increase by 3 percent in 2012 as Japan recovers from outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza and the earthquake in March 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service's latest report.
In 2011, massive outbreaks of avian influenza and the earthquake largely disrupted Japan’s domestic production and distribution of broiler meat. On a month-by-month comparison, national output for January–July 2011 showed severe declines, although from August 2011 onwards output almost returned to its 2010 levels, according to the report. Broilers comprise over 90 percent of the Japanese poultry market and domestic broilers account for about 60 percent of Japan’s total broiler supply.
For the first half of 2012, as total distribution of broiler meat clearly outpaced solid consumption, the market was flooded with chicken meat. Surplus stocks appear to be putting a burden on Japan’s 2012 broiler market. For the month of June, the size of frozen broiler stocks was reported to have grown to 152,780 metric tons, adding 5,400 metric tons to unsold meat inventories at the end of 2011.
In 2011, Japan’s total broiler imports increased by 14 percent from 201 numbers, to 894,565 metric tons. Japan’s imports, which were made to respond to any potential shortages, partially contributed to the year-ending stocks, estimated up by 35 percent compared to the year-beginning 2011 at 147,000 metric tons.
Higher market prices for imported broiler meat, coupled with current surpluses, are expected to reduce imports in 2013, according to the USDA. Japan’s imports from the U.S. are projected to remain unchanged at 35,000 metric tons.

China broiler production, consumption forecast up three percent in 2013

China’s broiler production in 2013 is forecast at 14.1 million metric tons, a three percent increase from the revised 2012 estimate (13.7 million metric tons), because of continued demand for cheaper meat protein, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service's latest report. The pace of growth for broiler production seems to be slowing due to higher feed prices.
With tight corn supplies in the U.S. (the lead supplier to China) and recent outbreaks of armyworms in China’s key corn-producing areas in North and Northeast China, prices for domestic and foreign corn supplies are expected to be considerably higher in 2012 and 2013, according to the report. Corn accounts for 65–70 percent of China’s broiler feed; but with higher corn prices, many feed plants in China are changing feed ingredients such as substituting wheat for corn. Despite the possibility of higher wheat demand and prices, China’s available wheat stocks are cheaper than domestic corn prices and may help relax feed cost burdens. Changing ingredients may slightly impact slaughter weight, but the growth for broiler production in 2013 is expected to be higher than other meat production. China’s broiler industry is deemed to be more standardized and industrialized than other meat industries.
China’s consumption in 2013 is forecast to increase by three percent above the revised 2012 figure (13.54 million metric tons) to 13.95 million metric tons because of strong demand for cheaper meat protein, according to the report. Chinese consumers began to purchase more broiler meats than red meats in July and August when prices for broiler meats were $2,657 per ton compared to the average pork price of $3,616 per ton. The significant price difference prompted low-income consumers to shift to cheaper broiler meats. Overall, consumers are becoming more price-sensitive as China’s Gross Domestic Product growth dropped from 9.2 percent in 2011 to 7.6 percent in the second quarter of 2012.

Imports and Exports
Despite rising domestic production in 2013, domestic demand for cheaper imported broiler meat will support a four percent increase over the revised estimate of 250,000 metric tons in imports, said the report. The Foreign Agricultural Service revised its 2012 import estimate upward by 7,000 metric tons to 240,000 metric tons based on larger-than-expected shipments from the U.S. When China implemented its anti-dumping and countervailing measures against U.S. broilers in 2010, export unit prices from South American countries climbed sharply in 2011; for instance, Brazil by 24 percent, Argentina nine percent and Chile 31 percent. With higher prices offered by South American countries, some U.S. prices are competitive, and some Chinese traders are willing to pay the anti-dumping and countervailing tariffs to bring in higher-quality U.S. broiler meats.
Broiler exports in 2013 are forecast to remain flat at 400,000 metric tons. China’s exports to Japan, its largest export market, are expected to continue upward at a pace of five percent in both 2012 and 2013. Yet, increased exports to Japan will be offset by reduced exports to Hong Kong, China’s second-largest export market, mainly attributed to Brazilian competitive export prices of Brazilian product to Hong Kong. Moreover, China’s exports to Malaysia, a traditional export market, will be strongly challenged by less-expensive export prices from Thailand to Malaysia.

Brazil, US top broiler meat exporters

Brazil and the U.S. are the largest exporters of broiler meat, accounting for about three-quarters of global exports during 2006–2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest international report.
Between 2006 and 2011, Brazil was the world’s third-largest producer of broiler meat (measured in metric tons), accounting for 15 percent of global production. The U.S. and China respectively accounted for 22 percent and 16 percent of global production during this period. Brazilian production grew 38 percent between 2006 and 2011 in response to strong demand attributable to rising domestic per-capita income, the competitive price of broiler meat compared to beef, higher demand from food service industry for frozen/precooked chicken products, and greater demand for Brazilian poultry by China and Hong Kong.
Brazil is the world’s largest exporter of broiler meat; in 2011, 25 percent of its production was exported, compared with 18 percent in the U.S., according to the USDA. Brazilian exports are highly concentrated in the Middle East and Asia. For the most part, Brazil and the U.S. have different customers and the top five markets for each country (except for Hong Kong) do not overlap. This is because Brazilian poultry is produced and packaged with specific customers in mind, while the U.S. tends to offer undifferentiated, bulk poultry products. Brazil’s willingness to differentiate its exports by offering a wide range of poultry products for different importing countries has helped Brazil gain market share in a number of third-country markets.

India broiler production to reach record in 2012

India's broiler meat production is expected to gain 450,000 metric tons over 2011 numbers to reach a record 3.2 million metric tons in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, carrying on a trend that has seen production rise 30 percent in the last four years. Production also increased 10 percent from 2010 to 2011, to 2.9 million metric tons.
“India's broiler production is revised upwards to a record figure based on a robust domestic demand fuelled by an expanding middle class and changing tastes and preferences together with the emergence of vertically integrated poultry producers that support increasing production,” said the USDA. Domestic consumption was 2.8 metric tons in 2011 and is likely to reach 3.1 metric tons in 2012, according to reports.
Egg production has also increased, to 26.66 million eggs per day in 2010–2011 from just 9.8 million eggs per day in 2000–2001, according to the National Egg Coordination Committee. Table-egg demand is expected to continue growing at a rate of 5 percent to 7 percent.

Brazil broiler production costs higher in March

Brazil’s broiler production costs were higher in March. According to the ICPFrango/Embrapa index, which measures the costs of broiler production in the state of Parana, the index rose to 142.01, 4.29 percent higher than in February.
ICPFrango/Embrapa notes that this increase was due to rising input costs, particularly those of feed, due to the poor grain harvest in the south of the country. So far this year, the index has risen by 9.68 percent, primarily driven by high corn and soya prices.

Broiler lameness may be reduced by probiotics, says study

Lameness in broilers due to the most common cause of the condition, bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis, may be reduced by administering probiotics prophylactically from the first day of rearing, according to the results of research conducted by scientists at the University of Arkansas.
Over the course of five experiments conducted from December 2009 to April 2011, the researchers found that adding probiotics to the birds’ diets beginning at one day of age consistently reduced the incidence of lameness for broilers reared on wire flooring. Probiotics may lessen or even eliminate the need for antibiotic treatment of related disease conditions in growing broilers, according to the results.
The researchers developed a wire-flooring model that reliably induces lameness in broilers at levels sufficient to allow in-depth study of the condition. “We feel confident that this new model will allow researchers, for the first time, to more deeply investigate the etiology, pathogenesis and treatment strategies for BCO,” said Dr. Bob Wideman, lead author and professor at the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas. “This should lead to more effective preventive strategies applicable to commercial flocks, which in turn will help decrease economic losses due to BCO.”
The full study was published in the April edition of Poultry Science. 

US broiler eggs, chicks down first week of November

Commercial hatcheries in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 19 State weekly program set 187 million eggs in incubators during the week ending November 5, 2011, down 6% from the same time in 2010, according to the latest report.
Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 85%.
Broiler growers in the program placed 149 million chicks for meat production during the week. Placements were down 8% from the comparable week in 2010. Cumulative placements from January 2, 2011, through November 5, 2011, were 7.3 billion, down 2% from 2010 numbers.

US broiler production expected to decline through end 2011

Broiler stocks will end the year at 660 million pounds.

U.S. broiler production is expected to decline at the end of the third quarter in 2011 and moving into the fourth quarter as reductions in the number of chicks placed for growout more than offset higher average weights, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Broiler cold storage holdings are expected to end 2011 at 660 million pounds, down considerably from 2010 numbers. Lower production and lower stock levels are expected to eventually place upward pressure on prices, but this effect will be partially offset by a sluggish domestic economy.
Turkey production was higher in August, but is expected to decline in the fourth quarter of 2011. Lower stock levels for whole turkeys have placed upward price pressure on whole birds. Wholesale whole-hen turkey prices have increased, with third-quarter prices averaging $1.06 per pound, up 9% from 2010 numbers.
For more broiler statistics, visit http://www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

LED lighting for broilers gives energy savings, flock perfomance

Light-emitting diode bulbs provide energy savings and competitive broiler growout performance in research trials, says Dr. Susan Watkins, University of Arkansas. Watch the video here.