The number of poultry in England has increased by 3.5% to 133 million in 2025, the latest figures from Defra show. This is the first increase in total poultry numbers since 2021.
The overall rise in the number of poultry is largely due to an 8.2% increase to 95 million in the number of broilers, which account for 72% of all poultry. The number of breeding and laying fowl has decreased by 6.3% to 30 million and continues the steady decline seen in the previous three years.
Table chickens and total breeding and laying flock in England at 1 June (source Defra)
The number of turkeys has decreased by 12% to 2.8 million birds in 2025, following the increase seen last year. The number of ducks decreased by 10% between 2024 and 2025, whilst the number of geese increased by 6.4% over the same period.