Poultry ’04 is NAHMS’ second study of the U.S. poultry industry. For Poultry ’04, NAHMS conducted a thorough assessment to determine the information needs of the poultry industry, researchers, and Federal and State governments. This needs assessment indicated a need for information regarding bird health, bird movement, and biosecurity practices of…

For Poultry ’04, NAHMS conducted a thorough assessment to determine the information needs of the poultry industry, researchers, and Federal and State governments. This assessment indicated a need for information regarding bird health, bird movement, and biosecurity practices of nontraditional poultry industries, such as backyard flocks, gamefowl,…

The Small Enterprise Chicken Study, 2007 is NAHMS’ third study of the poultry industry. The study provides national information on biosecurity practices and bird movement on operations with 1,000 to 19,999 chickens. The study was conducted in August 2007 and was based upon a statistically selected sample of 2,511 operations.

Raising chickens in urban environments is a growing phenomenon in the United States. Urban chicken flocks are not part of the commercial poultry industry; however, they sometimes provide chicken meat and eggs to local food systems such as farmers’ markets. Urban chickens represent an avian population for which very little information is available.…

Raising chickens in urban environments is a growing phenomenon in the United States. Urban chicken flocks are not part of the commercial poultry industry; however, they sometimes provide chicken meat and eggs to local food systems such as farmers’ markets. Urban chickens represent an avian population for which very little information is available.…

This guide was designed to provide useful information on biosecurity for poultry and bird owners. The United States works very hard to prevent infectious poultry diseases such as highly pathogenic avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease from being introduced into the country. To accomplish this, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)…

This file contains the monthly estimates of the number of layers on hand, rate of lay and egg production, potential layers by geographic regions, and chicken inventories and values by states.
Highlights
United States Average Number of Layers Up 2 Percent: Layer numbers during 2013 averaged 346 million, up 2 percent from the year earlier. The…

The United States is the world’s second largest broiler meat exporter (after Brazil), and exports have become a valuable source of income for the U.S. broiler industry. This study examines the growth in broiler meat exports focusing on several major markets.

Between 1960 and 1995, U.S. broiler production grew by 5.6 percent per year, but a lack of growth since 2008 has placed new financial pressures on contract growers. This report uses USDA survey data to delineate the key features of the industry’s organization and to analyze its recent financial and productive performance.

U.S. Quality Standards—Condition of the White and Yolk
U.S. Weight Classes—Minimum Weight Per Dozen Eggs
USDA Shell Egg Certification

This manual is an aid in teaching both beginning and experienced egg graders the correct interpretation and application of the U.S. standards, grades, and weight classes for eggs. It can serve as a guide in short courses or grading schools when supplemented with lectures, group discussions, and demonstrations. This manual should also prove useful…

American farms vary widely in size and other characteristics, but farming is still an industry of family businesses. Ninety-eight percent of farms are family farms, and they account for 82 percent of farm production. Small family farms make up most of the U.S. farm count and hold the majority of farm assets, but they produce a modest share of U.S.…

Broiler production in the United States is coordinated almost entirely through systems of production contracts, in which a grower’s compensation is based, in part, on how the grower’s performance compares with that of other growers. The industry is undergoing a gradual structural change as production shifts to larger broiler enterprises that…

This study provides a comprehensive view of the organization, management, and financial performance of U.S. broiler farms. Using data from USDA's Agricultural Resource Management Study (ARMS, formerly known as the Farm Costs and Returns Survey), we examine farm size, financial structure, household income, management practices, and spousal…

Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds on Pasture features farmer experiences plus the latest research in a guide to raising chickens and turkeys using pens, movable fencing and pastures.

A Wisconsin family nets between $2 and $6 per bird for their pasture-raised poultry, and partners with two other producers in processing and marketing. A New Mexico…

This report focuses on Small Acreage farms, especially those grossing $10,000 or more in a given year, and examines such characteristics as production strategies, types of products, sales, household income, and financial performance.