Egg Output Declines as U.S. Layer Flock Contracts

Smaller flocks and lower lay rates are pressuring table egg supplies, even as hatchery activity edges higher.

Carol_Ann_Sayle_05_27_16_USA_TX_Boggy_Creek_Farm_014.jpg

FarmHER, Inc.

WASHINGTON (RFD-TV) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) monthly Chickens and Eggs Report showed lower egg production in August as flock numbers continued to shrink.

Total U.S. output reached 8.89 billion eggs, down two percent from last year. Of that, 7.59 billion were table eggs and 1.30 billion were hatching eggs, including 1.19 billion broiler-type and 118 million egg-type.

The average number of layers in August was 364 million, one percent below a year ago, while production-per-100 layers fell one percent to 2,444 eggs.

As of September 1, the nation’s flock totaled 366 million layers, representing a one-percent decrease year-over-year. The flock included 301 million table egg layers, 59.9 million producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 4.65 million producing egg-type hatching eggs. The daily lay rate decreased to 78.6 eggs per 100 layers, also representing a one percent decline.

On the hatching side, egg-type chicks totaled 57.4 million in August, up five percent from last year, while broiler-type chicks reached 879 million, up slightly.

Iowa, Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Texas remain the top five states in egg production.

Tony’s Farm-Level Takeaway: Smaller flocks and lower lay rates are pressuring table egg supplies, even as hatchery activity edges higher.
Related Stories
Overall, the report suggests a shift toward more comfortable supply levels, with demand emerging as a key factor to watch in the months ahead.
Sponsored
Matt Dolch with Syngenta discusses rootworm pressure, the latest trait technologies, and how corn growers can plan for 2027.
During World War II, Augusta National Golf Club temporarily became a working farm, raising cattle and turkeys and harvesting pecans to support the war effort.
Moody Blooms grows more than 20 varieties of tulips and has opened its farm to the public as a spring agritourism destination in Texas.
“Cow goggles” are helping farmers experience cattle vision in real time, offering new tools to reduce stress, improve movement, and enhance livestock management.
National FFA Organization CEO Scott Stump has been inducted as an honorary member of Purdue’s Alpha Gamma Rho chapter, recognizing his leadership in agriculture.

Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Input costs may stay elevated beyond tariff impacts.
Seafood producers gain expanded access to USDA support programs.
CoBank Lead Energy Economist Teri Viswanath discusses their analysis of rising energy costs, rural impacts, and the outlook for fuel prices amid ongoing global uncertainty.
Risk management and diversification improve survival odds. Heidi Exline with American Farmland Trust discusses barriers to farmland access and efforts to connect the next generation of producers with retiring farmers.
National Land Realty’s Jeramy Stephens explains how rising input costs and economic uncertainty are impacting the farmland market and what landowners should watch moving forward.
Higher fuel costs are raising grain shipping expenses. RealAg Radio’s Shaun Haney discusses how energy market disruptions are impacting farmers in new ways as the War in Iran continues.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
Special 3-part series tells the story of the Claas family’s legacy, which changed agriculture forever.