Animals Killed for Food in the United States in 2000 (millions)

Figures provided by FARM from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service(NASS)

Animals Slaughter Other % Total ‘00 Est ‘01 % Increase
‘Broilers’ 8,259.21 532.83 (6%) 8,792 8,671.37 (-1.4%)
‘Layers’ 1651 264.73 (61.6%) 429.7 465.17 (8.2%)
Turkeys 2681 364 (11.8%) 304 3118 (2.3%)
Ducks 24.51          
Birds 8,716.7          
Cattle/Calves 37.62 4.15 (10.9%) 41.7 38.8 (-7%)9
Pigs 98.12 17.15* (17.4%) 115.2 115.4 (0.2%)9
Sheep 3.52 .85 (22%) 4.3 4.2 (-2.3%)9
Mammals 139.2 22 (15.8%) 161.2 158.4 (-1.7%)
Animals 8,855.9          

  1. USDA/ NASS “Poultry Slaughter 2000 Summary,” February 2001.
  2. USDA/ NASS “Livestock Slaughter 2000 Summary,” March 2001.
  3. USDA/ NASS “Hatchery Production 2000 Summary,” April 2001.
  4. USDA/ NASS “Turkey Hatchery,” April 2001.
  5. USDA/ NASS “Meat Animals Production, Disposition, & Income 2000,” April 2001.
  6. USDA/ APHIS Swine Management Practices, October 1995.
  7. USDA/ NASS “ Chicken and Eggs,” April 2001.
  8. USDA/ NASS “ Turkey Hatchery,” April 2001.
  9. USDA/ NASS “Livestock Slaughter,” April 2001.

*Pig “other” deaths determined by adding number of deaths after weaning (6.8 million) to number of deaths before weaning (10.3 million).

6.85 + (.093 x 100.85 / .9076 = 10.3)

Terms

“Other”- number of individuals who die before slaughter for any reason.

Procedure

“Broilers”- “Other” calculated by subtracting number slaughtered from number hatched

 

“Layers”- “Other” calculated by subtracting number slaughtered from number hatched. Note the larger number of egg-industry chickens dying before slaughter(264.7M) than at slaughter(165M): 50% of chicks hatched are males and thus discarded upon hatching. Add the males discarded to all the laying hens who die during egg production and you have a figure that's higher than the number of hens who survive for slaughter (and official USDA counting.)

 

Turkeys- “Other” calculated by subtracting number slaughtered from number hatched. Since no data exists for the number of turkeys hatched, we determine that figure by taking 81% of the total number of turkey eggs set in incubators for 2000. The hatch rate for turkey and broiler eggs is approximately 81% of eggs set in incubators (from interview with USDA poultry expert.)

United Poultry Concerns, Inc.
PO Box 150
Machipongo, VA 23405-0150
757-678-7875
FAX: 757-678-5070
www.upc-online.org

(Animals Killed for Food in the United States in 2000 (millions))