The latest hatchery numbers show turkey supplies could come up tight later this year, with eggs down by nearly double digits.
The USDA shows the number of turkey eggs in incubation at the start of April was down 2 percent on the month and 9 percent on the year. The number of poults during March were up 7 percent from February but down 8 percent less than March of 2023. Poults placed into meat production were up 9 percent on the month but 8 percent below a year ago.
The USDA projects turkey production this year at 5.4 billion pounds.
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