WASHINGTON – During December 2013, egg production in the United States totaled 8.25 billion eggs, up 2 percent from last year, according to the US Department of Agriculture. Production included 7.19 billion table eggs and 1.06 billion hatching eggs, of which 986 million were broiler-type and 75 million were egg-type.

The total number of layers during December 2013 averaged 351 million, up 2 percent from last year. December egg production per 100 layers was 2,353 eggs, up a little from December 2012.

On Jan. 1, all layers in the US totaled 350 million, up 2 percent from last year. The 350 million layers consisted of 295 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 52.3 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs and 3.02 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. On Jan. 1, the rate of lay per day averaged 75.6 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from Jan. 1, 2013.

During December 2013, egg-type chicks hatched totaled 38.9 million, up 5 percent from December 2012. Eggs in incubators totaled 38.0 million on Jan. 1, 2014, down 1 percent from a year ago. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 354,000 during December 2013, up 213 percent from December 2012.

During December 2013, broiler-type chicks hatched totaled 771 million, up 1 percent from December 2012. Eggs in incubators totaled 625 million on January 1, 2014, up 2 percent from a year earlier.