WASHINGTON – Ready-to-cook weight for poultry certified wholesome during May totaled 4.02 billion lbs., which is an increase from the amount certified a year ago, the US Dept. of Agriculture said in its Poultry Slaughter report.

For the month, the preliminary total live weight of federally inspected poultry was 4.92 billion lbs., an increase of 8 percent compared to last year. Weight of young chickens advanced 7 percent to 4.60 billion lbs., while mature chickens totaled 69.7 billion lbs. which is an increase of 11 percent from May 2015, USDA reported.

Young chickens slaughtered during May had an average live weight of 6.18 lbs. per bird, an increase of 2 percent from last year, while mature chickens averaged 5.97 lbs. per bird, up 2 percent from the year-ago period.

USDA reported turkey inspections in May totaled 624 million lbs., up 15 percent from a year ago, Turkeys slaughtered during May averaged 30.9 lbs. per bird, up 1 percent from a year ago.

Ducks totaled 14.7 million lbs., which is a decline of 1 percent from last year.

Ante-mortem condemnations for May totaled 12.4 million lbs. which represents 0.23 percent of the live weight inspected, as compared with 0.22 percent a year ago, USDA said. Meanwhile, post-mortem condemnations were 1.03 percent of quantities inspected, at 41.8 million pounds, compared with 1.01 percent in May 2015.

The revised total for April 2016 eased 2 percent to 3.84 billion lbs.; although the revision reflects an increase of 7.68 million lbs. from last month’s preliminary certified weight.

May 2015 contained 21 weekdays, including one holiday, and five Saturdays, while May 2016 contained 22 weekdays, including one holiday, and four Saturdays.