WASHINGTON – During January 2014, poultry certified wholesome (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.68 billion lbs., down 4 percent from the total certified in January 2013, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, US Department of Agriculture. Totaling 3.57 billion lbs., the December 2013 revised certified total increased 7 percent from December 2012. December’s revision represented an increase of 11 million lbs. from last month's preliminary lbs. certified.

For the month of January 2014, the preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry totaled 4.88 billion lbs., a decrease of 4 percent from 5.09 billion lbs. one year ago. Young chickens inspected totaled 4.23 billion lbs., down 3 percent from January 2013. Totaling 69.4 million lbs., mature chickens were down 7 percent from the previous year.


Meanwhile, turkey inspections totaled 567 million lbs., down 13 percent from a year ago. Ducks totaled 14.8 million lbs., up 2 percent from last year.

During January 2014, young chickens slaughtered averaged 6.00 lbs. per bird, up 1 percent from January 2013. The average live weight of mature chickens was 5.46 lbs. per bird, up 2 percent from one year ago. Turkeys slaughtered during January 2014 averaged 31.1 lbs. per bird, down 2 percent from January 2013.
Ante-mortem condemnations during January 2014 totaled 11.6 million lbs. Condemnations made up 0.24 percent of the live weight inspected vs. 0.22 percent one year earlier. Totaling 37.6 million lbs., post-mortem condemnations were 1.01 percent of quantities inspected vs.0.98 percent one year earlier.