www.WATTpoultry.com
APRIL 2009 volume 114 number 4
Roller coaster ride predicted for egg prices
Editorial with Dr. Simon Shane
Focal Duodenal Necrosis (FDN) in table egg flocks
7 ways to reduce feed wastage in caged flocks
Advancing egg quality
and safety through research and education
Industry News
Product News
Marketplace
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Roller coaster ride predicted
for egg prices
March egg industry data identi es recent trends and anticipates changes
in production and pro t.
By Don Bell
The March update of egg industry
statistics, including USDA Economic Research Service values
assembled by Don Bell of the University of California,
Riverside, repre-
sents a compre-
hensive collection
of data providing a
perspective of the
recent history and
trends in produc-
tion and pro t.
The key values
Don Bell
include:
✓Eggs in incubators (35.2 million)
during February 2009 represented a
1% decline over the corresponding
month in 2008 and a 4% decline over
January 2009.
✓The hatchery supply ock has remained fairly constant, ranging from
2. 6 to 2. 7 million hens during the
past six months.
✓As of Feb. 1 there were 283.5 million
hens in lay at an average of 74.9%
hen/month production.
✓The national ock is forecast to decline to a low of 281.2 million in August 2009 but will show a seasonal
rise to 285.0 million in December.
✓During February 2009, 25% of the
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(8%); Pennsylvania (8%); California
(7%); Texas (5%).
During January 2009, 5.422 million
cases were broken, representing 29.9%
of production compared to a monthly
2009’s first quarter has seen decline in egg production and cost,
but later year projections indicate a coming rise.
ock had completed a molt.
At the beginning of 2009, the national ock was located in the following
states in the proportions as indicated:
Iowa (19%); Ohio (10%); Indiana
