Egg Output Rises in march

WASHINGTON - Apr 21/06 - SNS -- U.S. egg production totaled 7.84 billion during March 2006, up 1% from last year, reports the USDA.

Production included 6.73 billion table eggs, and 1.11 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.04 billion were broiler-type and 69 million were egg-type. The number of layers during March 2006 averaged 350 million, up 1% from last year. March egg production per 100 layers was 2,239 eggs, up slightly from March 2005.

All layers in the U.S. on April 1, 2006, totaled 350 million, up 2% from last year. The 350 million layers consisted of 292 million layers producing table-type eggs, 55.5 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.84 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on April 1, 2006, averaged 72.8 eggs per 100 layers, up 1% from April 1, 2005.

Egg-type chicks hatched during March 2006 totaled 38.9 million, down 7% from March 2005. Eggs in incubators totaled 35.8 million on April 1, 2006, down 5% from a year ago.

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