By Charlie Reeve
Total UK poultry meat production lifted by almost 3% in September compared with the same month last year, in part due to a higher throughput of broilers at abattoirs.
The latest government figures show that UK poultry meat totalled 177,800 tonnes in September, putting it up on both year and month earlier levels.
UK broiler slaughterings, which represents the vast majority of birds, increased by 0.7% on the year to 95.9 million birds.
Boiling fowl slaughterings, which includes spent hens and breeders, climbed to 3 million birds, up from 2.1 million in August and 1.8 million birds in September 2024.
Average liveweights for broilers held again at 2.4kg for the sixth consecutive month.
Chick placings
UK chick placings were also up for broilers and layers but back slightly for turkey chicks.
Commercial layer chick placings increased by 8.7% at 3.5 million chicks, while broiler chick placings were up 8.8% at 103.8 million chicks, according to the Defra.
Defra says consumer demand strongly affects broiler chick and turkey poult placings.
It said: “There are clear peaks of turkeys and troughs of broilers in the average weekly placings figures in the months running up to Christmas.
“This translates into equivalent high/low levels in the slaughtering volumes over the Christmas period.”
UK turkey poult placings were down 10% at 1 million chicks, while slaughterings were down 10% at 0.6 million birds.