The UK broiler sector has been setting new records in 2022.
For the second month running, broiler chick placings have equalled their all-time high (see chart).
See also: Poultry feed prices soar to new highs
Weekly chick placings rose by 4% year-on-year during February, following a 7.5% increase in January.
The resulting total of day-olds for the first two months of 2022 came to 218.4 million.
This marked a rise of 12m compared with a year earlier and is the highest two-month total placed by the UK poultry sector to date.
Output up
Output follows suit in the wake of higher chick numbers in November and December.
Total chicken production across January and February was up by 23,500 tonnes (carcase weight) compared with the first two months of last year, an increase of 8% to 306,400t.
Similarly, high production levels can now be expected through this month and the next, as the Jan/Feb placings start arriving at the processing plant.
Turkey
It has been a less spectacular start to the year for the turkey sector.
After holding their own in January, poult numbers dipped a little in February compared with the year before.
Overall, 64,000 fewer day-olds were placed on UK farms during Jan-Feb compared with last year, with the combined total falling to 2,078,000.
