UK Poultry Production Rises Again

Published in News

UK Poultry Production Rises Again

UK poultry meat and egg production increased in October, mainly due to more broiler birds and slightly heavier weight

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Martina Osmak
Director of Marketing

1. Overview: Production Up 2.2%

UK poultry meat production reached 181,100 tonnes in October. This is higher than both the previous month and the same month last year. Most of the growth came from broiler chickens.

2. Broiler Chickens: Main Driver of Growth

More Birds

  • 99 million broilers processed

  • Up 4 million from the previous month

  • About the same as last year

Heavier Birds

  • Average broiler weight at slaughter: 2.4 kg, up from 2.3 kg last year

Heavier birds mean more meat per bird, helping lift total production.

3. Boiling Fowl and Turkeys

Boiling Fowl

  • 2.7 million processed in October

  • Slightly lower than the previous month

  • Still 19% higher than a year ago

  • Birds lighter at 1.9 kg, compared with 2.4 kg last year

Turkeys

  • Turkey slaughter numbers fell 21% year-on-year

  • Only 500,000 turkeys processed

This shows weaker turkey supply or demand compared with last year.

4. Chick Placings: What’s Coming Ahead

Broiler Chick Placings

  • Up 0.3% year-on-year

  • 99 million chicks placed

Layer Chick Placings

  • Increased to 3.7 million chicks

  • Suggests egg production will stay strong

Broiler Breeder Chick Placings

  • Only 100,000 placed

  • A large drop, which could affect future broiler supply if the trend continues

5. Eggs: Prices and Production

Farmgate Prices

  • Average UK egg price: 148 pence per dozen

  • Up 1.8% compared with last year

Egg Production

  • 268 million dozen eggs produced for human consumption in Q3

    • 1.9% higher than Q2

    • 5.1% higher than last year

  • Total egg output: 17,000 tonnes

    • Up 17% on the previous quarter

    • Slightly lower than the same period in 2024

Egg production continues to grow, even with small year-to-year shifts.

6. Key Takeaway

The UK poultry sector remains strong. Broiler chickens continue to push production upward, egg output is rising, and chick numbers suggest stable supply ahead—though falling turkey numbers and lighter boiling fowl show mixed signals in some areas.

Source: https://www.poultrynews.co.uk/production/uk-poultry-meat-production-lifts-by-2-2.html

UK Poultry Production Rises Again | MeatBorsa