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
Record yields and exceptionally low BCFM strengthen U.S. corn’s competitive position in global markets.
Water access—not acreage alone—is driving where irrigation expands or contracts.
Reed Marcum started hosting a toy drive in 2015. Since then, he has distributed thousands of toys across his home state of Oklahoma and in Texas and Arkansas. Now serving in the Army, Reed’s family and local 4-H chapter are running the event.
Mike Steenhoek, with the Soy Transportation Commission, shares his outlook on current grain stocks and transportation lines amid bumper crops filling bins across the United States.
Texas livestock producers face a heightened biosecurity threat as New World screwworm detections in northern Mexico coincide with FDA approval of the first topical treatment.
Milk output is rising, but steep drops in Class I–IV prices are tightening margins heading into 2026.

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:

Logistics capacity remains available, but winter volatility favors flexible delivery and marketing plans. NGFA President Mike Seyfert provides insight into grain transportation trends, trade policy, and priorities for the year ahead.
Rising adoption of GLP-1 drugs may gradually reshape food demand, with potential downstream effects on protein markets and consumer purchasing patterns.
Leadership development and bipartisan engagement remain central to advancing agriculture’s priorities in 2026.
Winter Weather, Drought Shape Early 2026 Farm Conditions
As domestic production and blending slowed, export demand remained a clear bright spot.
Protein markets are fragmenting. Beef is supply-driven and more structurally expensive, whereas pork and poultry remain price-competitive.
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.