During the feeding year that began October 1, 1943, egg production 

 was 39 percent greater than during the 1940-41 feeding year. 



The greatest relative increase in hens and pullets, about 41 percent, 

 took place in the Southern Region, where egg production increased 

 about 40 percent. The greatest increase in egg production, about 44 

 percent, occurred in the North Central Region, where the number of 

 hens and pullets increased about 35 percent. 



In the North Central Region, 227 million of the 519 million hens and 

 pullets in the United States laid 26 billion of the national production 

 of 57 billion eggs. 



Increases, both in hens and pullets and in egg production, occurred 

 in all States over the 3-year period. Despite the fact that considerable 

 liquidation of hens and pullets occurred in the latter part of 1944, only 

 two States, Florida and Arizona, had fewer hens and pullets at the start 

 of 1945 than were on farms at the beginning of wartime production 

 in 1941. 



CHICKENS RAISED 



About 30 percent more chickens were raised in 1943 than in 1941. 

 The number of chickens raised in 1944, while considerably below the 



1943 wartime peak, was about 5 percent greater than in 1941. More 

 chickens were raised in 1944 than in 1941 in all regions except the South- 

 ern, where the number raised was 3 percent lower. However, the 

 southern States of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina 

 raised more chickens than in 1941. 



COMMERCIAL BROILERS 



Commercial broiler production has increased substantially during the 

 war in all areas where chickens are raised for the broiler market. The 

 peak was reached in 1943, about 46 percent above 1941. 



The greatest relative increase of broilers in 1943, 58 percent above 

 1941, occurred in the Southern and Western Regions. The Northeast 

 Region was next with an increase of 53 percent. Increases in other regions 

 were: East Central, 40 percent, and North Central, 36 percent. Numeri- 

 cally the greatest increase was in the East Central Region, which pro- 

 duces about half the broilers raised in the United States. 



The shortage of feed grains cut back broiler production sharply in 



1944 in all regions except the Southern, where the number produced 

 was about the same as 1943. 



TURKEYS 



Turkey production changed little during the first 2 war years. In late 

 1942 and in 1943, the number of turkeys raised was slightly less than in 

 1941. A record turkey crop was produced in 1944, about 10 percent 

 arger than in 1941 and about 5 percent above the previous record set in 

 1940. The 1944 turkey crop was about 20 percent larger than the 1936-40 

 average. Indications are that the number of turkeys raised in 1945 will 

 be 8 percent greater than in 1944. 



In the Western Region, raising about a third of all the turkeys in the 

 United States, 1944 production was up about 17 percent above 1941. 

 The largest relative increase, 25 percent, was in the Northeast Region. 

 Production was up about 6 percent in the North Central Region, which 

 produces about as many turkeys as does the Western Region. The 1944 

 turkey production was about 7 percent above the 1941 production in the 

 East Central Region and remained about the same in the Southern 

 Region. 



