WASHINGTON – US egg production totaled 7.99 billion during January 2013, up 2 percent from 2012, the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service reported.

Production included 6.94 billion table eggs and 1.06 billion hatching eggs, of which 985 million were broiler-type and 74 million were egg-type, according to NASS. The total number of layers during gained 1 percent to average 344 million. January egg production per 100 layers rose slightly compared to 2012 to 2,326 eggs.

All layers on Feb. 1, 2013, totaled 344 million, an increase of 2 percent compared to 2012. This included 290 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 51.4 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs and 2.96 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs, NASS reported. The rate of lay per day on Feb. 1 averaged 74.8 eggs per 100 layers, up 2 percent from the comparable year-ago period, according to NASS.

Egg-type chicks hatched advanced 5 percent to 42.2 million during January. Eggs in incubators totaled 39.7 million on Feb. 1, up 1 percent from 2012.

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks jumped 33 percent to 350,000 during January 2013.

Broiler-type chicks hatched in January 2013 climbed 1 percent to 762 million, according to NASS. Eggs in incubators totaled 614 million on Feb.1, up 2 percent from a year ago. Broiler-type pullet chicks placed during January 2013 declined 6 percent to 6.30 million compared to January 2012.