USDA Live Poultry Sltr Under F.I. 03/26 10:11

NW_PY017
Des Moines, IA          Thu. Mar 26, 2026          USDA Market News

MISC. POULTRY: Weekly Poultry Slaughtered Under Federal Inspection (Thur)
(Preliminary) (Released 12:00 PM Central Time) Week ending 21-Mar-2026


                   Young        Light          Heavy       Total
                  Chickens       Hens           Hens       Hens          Ducks
                
---------------------Thousands-----------------------------------
Head                 170,237         815          1,845        2,660        469
Avg Wt                  6.49        3.70           8.61         7.11       7.19
Head sltr comparisons
Last week            173,432         689          1,665        2,354        474
Same wk yr ago       167,017         797          1,684        2,481        389
Avg Wt                  6.50        3.27           8.38         6.74       7.02
To-date/2026*      2,035,828       9,050         22,006       31,056      5,539
To-date/2025*      1,964,429       7,354         19,590       26,944      5,046
% Change YTD              4%         23%            12%          15%        10%

Ready-to-Cook Weight and Dressing Percentage
Current week         839,677       1,674         10,882       12,556      2,394
Last week            846,209       1,335          9,923       11,258      2,309
Same wk yr ago       825,064       1,446          9,667       11,113      1,939

To-date/2026*     10,137,140      17,681        126,876      144,557     28,009
To-date/2025*      9,816,306      13,984        111,766      125,750     24,857
% Change YTD              3%         26%            14%          15%        13%
                ----------------------------------------------------------------
Dressing %             76.0%       55.5%          68.5%                   71.0%

                Live Turkeys Slaughtered Week Ending     21-Mar-2026

                   Young        Young          Young        Old        Total
                    Hens         Toms         Breeders   Breeders     Turkeys
Head                   1,472       1,898              6           35      3,411
Avg Wt                 18.34       46.87          28.22        30.30      34.36
Head sltr comparisons
Last week              1,540       1,986             14           17      3,557
Same wk yr ago         1,470       1,888              0           24      3,382
Avg Wt                 17.87       44.66           0.00        28.80      32.90
To-date/2026*         18,618      22,454             97          325     41,494
To-date/2025*         16,213      21,422            248          338     38,221
% Change YTD             15%          5%           -61%          -4%         9%
                ----------------------------------------------------------------
Ready-to-Cook Weight and Dressing Percentage
Current week          21,732      71,612            131          822     94,297
Last week             21,819      74,405            363          483     97,070
Same wk yr ago        21,146      67,876              0          536     89,558

To-date/2026*        266,987     849,649          2,566        8,045  1,127,247
To-date/2025*        232,142     767,177          5,262        8,215  1,012,796
% Change YTD             15%         11%           -51%          -2%        11%
                ----------------------------------------------------------------
Dressing %             80.5%       80.5%          77.5%        77.5%

(A) The estimated number of fryers available for marketing based on the
2-week revised average chick placements 6 to 7 weeks earlier was 171.4
million head.  Estimated U.S. slaughter for this period was 172.3 million
head, or 0.9 million more than estimated available.

(B) Dressing % adjustments reflect quarterly update.

*Note: Year to-date totals reflect comparable time periods.

SOURCE: USDA Livestock, Poultry & Grain Market News
        Des Moines, IA     515.284.4460  email: desm.lpgmn@ams.usda.gov
        http://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/livestock-poultry-grain

Prepared: 26-Mar-26 10:49 AM C BRM

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