U.S. inventories of turkey eggs in incubators on June 1 reached their lowest level since 1988, in step with a document from america Division of Agriculture (USDA) Financial Analysis Provider (ERS).
On June 1, 2024, the selection of eggs in incubators was once 22.8 million. Whilst the ERS document didn’t come with 1988 figures, it did display a important lower from June 1 all over the former two years. The selection of turkey eggs in incubators on June 1, 2022, was once 26.1 million, and on June 1, 2023, that quantity was once 28.1 million.
The selection of U.S. turkey eggs in incubators was once strangely low on June 1, 2024.Courtesy USDA ERS
ERS additionally famous that poult placements in June had been down 18% on a year-over-year foundation, at 20.6 million. The one time since 2005 that poult placements had been that low had been previous this 12 months in February, when 19.8 million poults had been positioned.
Was once avian influenza an element?
ERS downplayed the have an effect on the extremely pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak had at the declining egg numbers.
Lots of the circumstances of HPAI in U.S. turkey breeder flocks had been showed after June 1. Simplest 4 farms at once known through USDA Animal and Plant Well being Inspection Provider (APHIS) as turkey breeder flocks had been reported in 2024 3 of the ones – involving one flock of four,200 breeder toms, one flock of 21,900 breeder hens, and one flock of 15,400 breeder hens – had been showed on July 24. The opposite flock concerned 6,800 breeder hens, however that flock an infection was once showed on Would possibly 21.
On Would possibly 2, APHIS showed the presence of HPAI in every other breeder flock that incorporated 14,100 head of poultry, however the company didn’t specify what form of poultry was once concerned.
ERS speculated that the decline in egg numbers in June was once most probably extra associated with “manufacturing selections.”
Affect on Thanksgiving turkey provides
On account of the standard enlargement cycle for turkeys, eggs incubated in June and positioned in July normally develop out to be slaughtered as recent Thanksgiving turkeys. That signifies that the availability for recent turkeys is prone to be considerably decreased for Thanksgiving 2024.
Alternatively, ERS said that there will have to nonetheless be a enough provide of frozen turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners. Inventories of complete frozen rooster turkeys, weighing between 8 and 16 kilos, had been up 16% on a year-over-year foundation as of June 30, 2024.