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USDA Live Poultry Sltr Under F.I. 05/21 11:21

USDA Live Poultry Sltr Under F.I. 05/21 11:21

NW_PY017
Des Moines, IA          Thu. May 21, 2026          USDA Market News

MISC. POULTRY: Weekly Poultry Slaughtered Under Federal Inspection (Thur)
(Preliminary) (Released 12:00 PM Central Time) Week ending 16-May-2026


                   Young        Light          Heavy       Total
                  Chickens       Hens           Hens       Hens          Ducks
                
---------------------Thousands-----------------------------------
Head                 170,711         664          1,788        2,452        476
Avg Wt                  6.64        3.37           8.52         7.13       7.05
Head sltr comparisons
Last week            171,765         840          1,764        2,604        477
Same wk yr ago       168,692         556          1,720        2,276        469
Avg Wt                  6.59        3.69           8.40         7.25       6.50
To-date/2026*      3,397,006      15,441         35,608       51,049      9,044
To-date/2025*      3,300,056      12,617         33,292       45,909      8,421
% Change YTD              3%         22%             7%          11%         7%

Ready-to-Cook Weight and Dressing Percentage
Current week         861,476       1,242         10,435       11,677      2,383
Last week            855,046       1,641         10,174       11,815      2,428
Same wk yr ago       844,877       1,139          9,897       11,036      2,164

To-date/2026*     16,914,565      29,923        206,179      236,102     45,705
To-date/2025*     16,443,591      24,304        189,898      214,202     41,812
% Change YTD              3%         23%             9%          10%         9%
                ----------------------------------------------------------------
Dressing %             76.0%       55.5%          68.5%                   71.0%

                Live Turkeys Slaughtered Week Ending     16-May-2026

                   Young        Young          Young        Old        Total
                    Hens         Toms         Breeders   Breeders     Turkeys
Head                   1,624       1,937              2           24      3,587
Avg Wt                 18.61       46.90          32.01        34.00      34.00
Head sltr comparisons
Last week              1,518       1,926              1           31      3,476
Same wk yr ago         1,738       1,858             17           49      3,662
Avg Wt                 17.94       44.78          32.97        36.36      31.88
To-date/2026*         30,524      37,407            156          579     68,666
To-date/2025*         29,189      36,229            342          486     66,246
% Change YTD              5%          3%           -54%          19%         4%
                ----------------------------------------------------------------
Ready-to-Cook Weight and Dressing Percentage
Current week          24,329      73,130             50          632     98,141
Last week             22,277      72,576             36          813     95,702
Same wk yr ago        25,100      66,977            434        1,381     93,892

To-date/2026*        445,768   1,413,245          4,046       14,400  1,877,459
To-date/2025*        423,881   1,293,014          7,562       11,982  1,736,439
% Change YTD              5%          9%           -46%          20%         8%
                ----------------------------------------------------------------
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 171.6
million head.  Estimated U.S. slaughter for this period was 172.8 million
head, or 1.2 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: 21-May-26 11:55 AM C BRM

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