DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa egg production during December 2021 was 1.29 billion eggs, up 2 percent from last month and up 1 percent from last year, according to the latest Chickens and Eggs report from the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. 

The average number of all layers on hand during December 2021 was 49.3 million, down slightly from last month but up 1 percent from the same month last year. Eggs per 100 layers for December were 2,612, up 3 percent from last month but down slightly from last December.

United States Chickens & Eggs 

United States egg production totaled 9.66 billion during December 2021, up 1 percent from last year. Production included 8.38 billion table eggs, and 1.28 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.21 billion were broiler-type and 78.2 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during December 2021 averaged 392 million, up slightly from last year. December egg production per 100 layers was 2,464 eggs, up slightly from December 2020. 

All layers in the United States on January 1, 2022 totaled 392 million, down slightly from last year. The 392 million layers consisted of 326 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 62.6 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.03 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on January 1, 2022, averaged 79.2 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from January 1, 2021. 

Egg-type chicks hatched during December 2021 totaled 47.3 million, down 9 percent from December 2020. Eggs in incubators totaled 46.5 million on January 1, 2022, down 8 percent from a year ago. 

Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 214 thousand during December 2021, down 54 percent from December 2020. 

Broiler-type chicks hatched during December 2021 totaled 846 million, down slightly from December 2020. Eggs in incubators totaled 712 million on January 1, 2022, up slightly from a year ago.

— USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service