POULTRY REVIEW 

 1979 



CHICKENS : 



The December 1, 1979 inventory of chickens on farms (excluding broilers) in Massachusetts showed 

 1,726,000 birds, up 9 percent from a year earlier but still 13 percent below 1977. Of these, there were I 

 617,000 hens of laying age, up 12 percent from 1978. Pullets of laying age increased 22 percent over 1978 

 to 755,000. Total value of the December 1 inventory at $3,711,000 was up 15 percent from 1978, due partly 

 to a 10 cent rise in the average value per bird. Growers marketed 7,937,000 pounds of mature chickens dur- 

 ing 1979 at 13.2 cents per pound compared to 10,500,000 pounds at 12.3 cents per pound the previous year. 

 EGGS: 



[Massachusetts egg production in 1979 fell to 339 million, which is a 10 year low and a 1 percent drop 

 from last year's production of 341 million eggs. Although the annual rate of lay per bird increased to 

 244, an all time high, the number of layers on hand decreased by 26,000 causing the decline in egg produc- 

 tion. For their eggs, Massachusetts growers received an average of 73.8 cents per dozen during 1979. 

 This price is an 11 percent increase over the 1978 average price per dozen of 66.2 cents. Gross income 

 received for eggs was $20,849,000 in 1979, an 11 percent increase over the previous year. 

 TURKEYS : 



Farmers in Massachusetts raised 140,000 turkeys during 1979, 6,000 or 4 percent fewer than during 

 the previous year. The average weight of these predominantly heavy breed birds was 20.0 pounds. For , 

 their turkeys, growers during 1979 received an average of 65.0 cents per pound, which is 3 cents per pound 

 less than the price received in 1978. Total value of the 1979 production was $1,820,000, down 11 

 percent from the previous year, but up 21 percent from 1977. 



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