United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

Veterinary Services

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health November 2011

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Highlights of Structure of the 

U.S. Poultry Industry, 2010

The USDA’s National Animal Health Monitoring System 

(NAHMS) conducted the Poultry 2010 study. One 

objective of the study was to describe the structure of 

commercial poultry industries, including interactions 

among poultry industry segments, movements, and 

biosecurity practices. An understanding of the industry

structure is important for managing disease outbreaks. 

The Poultry 2010 study was administered to the Nation’s 

largest broiler, turkey, table-egg layer, and breeder 

companies,

1 accounting for over 70 percent of their 

respective industries. Estimates in this information sheet

reflect the practices of these large companies only. 

General industry structure

Nearly two-thirds of farms (65.6 percent) were broiler 

farms. Table-egg production farms accounted for 

2.3 percent of farms. Turkey farms accounted for 

16.7 percent of farms, and breeder farms accounted for 

15.4 percent of farms (figure 1).

Broiler companies had a median of 464 farms, 

whereas table-egg companies had a median of 8 farms.

Nearly all breeder farms (98.8 percent) and threefourths of turkey farms (73.4 percent) had fewer than 

50,000 birds at maximum capacity. The majority of 

broiler farms (56.3 percent) had 50,000 to 99,999 birds, 

 1 Turkey primary breeder companies were not included in the study.

and the majority of table-egg farms (53.7 percent) had 

100,000 or more birds (figure 2).

Breeder farms

Poultry production begins with primary breeders—

the genetic stock for the industry. Primary breeder flocks 

consist of pedigree (elite/foundation), great-grandparent, 

and grandparent birds. Grandparent flocks produce the 

final generation of breeding birds (multiplier (parent)

flocks). Eggs from multiplier flocks hatch to become

production birds (broilers, market turkeys, table-egg 

layers) for human consumption (figure 3).
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

Figure 3. Structure of breeder farms in the United 

States

As suppliers of industry genetics, primary breeder 

farms commonly shipped eggs outside of their State 

(74.9 percent of farms) as well as outside of the United 

States (56.8 percent of farms). Multiplier farms mostly 

shipped eggs within the State (95.2 percent of farms).

Hatchery ownership differed by production type. 

Nearly all hatcheries that provided chicks to broiler farms 

(92.2 percent) were owned by the production company;

less than 3 percent of hatcheries that supplied table-egg 

production farms were owned by the production 

company.

Hatcheries belonging to broiler and turkey 

production companies mostly produced chicks/poults to 

supply their companies only (92.0 and 63.6 percent of 

hatcheries, respectively). As producers of the genetics 

for the rest of the industry, 80.0 percent of primary 

breeder hatcheries supplied other companies.

Ownership of multiplier flocks differed by production 

type. All broiler farms received chicks produced by 

company-owned multiplier flocks. Pullets placed on the 

majority of table-egg farms (76.9 percent) were 

produced by multiplier flocks owned by a primary 

breeder company. Birds placed on the majority of turkeyproduction farms (67.3 percent) were produced by 

multiplier flocks owned by an independent operator or 

another company (figure 4).

Production farms

A higher percentage of table-egg farms than broiler 

or turkey farms were company owned (42.2 versus 0.2 

and 8.0 percent of farms, respectively; figure 5).

Over 8 of 10 turkey-grower farms (82.8 percent) had 

toms only; 0.8 percent had both hens and toms. About 4

of 10 turkey-grower farms also had brood birds on the 

same farm (43.4 percent).

Organic farming was most common in table-egg 

production; 11.2 percent of table-egg farms had at least 

one house designated as organic.

Primary 

Breeder 

Breeder Farms

Farms
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture

Table-egg farms most commonly raised pullets on a 

separate farm belonging to the same company 

(86.6 percent of table egg farms) and located within the 

same State as the farm (77.0 percent of table egg 

farms).

About 9 of 10 table-egg farms (87.5 percent) 

collected eggs by belt only.

About 8 of 10 table-egg farms (82.4 percent) 

primarily produced shell eggs, while 17.6 percent 

primarily produced eggs for breaking.

Of farms that primarily produced shell eggs, about 

one-third had on-farm egg processing facilities and twothirds sent eggs off-farm for processing. About one-half 

of farms with on-farm processing (45.3 percent) 

processed eggs for other farms. 

 About one-half of table-egg farms (54.6 percent) 

molted their last completed flock. Molted flocks were 

kept in the laying house an average of 88.7 weeks and 

nonmolted flocks an average of 64.2 weeks. The most 

common methods of disposal of spent hens were 

rendering and processing (47.0 and 38.8 percent of 

farms, respectively; figure 6). 

On average, broilers were marketed or slaughtered 

at 7.2 weeks of age, turkey hens at 14.2 weeks of age, 

and turkey toms at 19.7 weeks of age.

No broiler or turkey farms marketed birds via a livebird market.

All broiler slaughter facilities and three-fourths of the 

turkey slaughter facilities (77.3 percent) that slaughtered 

birds for the participating companies were owned by 

their respective production companies. None of the 

slaughter facilities slaughtered other species of poultry 

or other species besides poultry.

_____________________________

For more information, contact:

USDA–APHIS–VS–CEAH

NRRC Building B, M.S. 2E7

2150 Centre Avenue 

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117 

970.494.7000

Email: NAHMS@aphis.usda.gov

http://nahms.aphis.usda.gov

#636.1111

____________________________________

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in 

all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national 

origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial 

status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, 

political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income 

is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited 

bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require 

alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, 

large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 

(202) 720–2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, 

write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence 

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–9410, or call (800) 795–3272 

(voice) or (202) 720–6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity 

provider and employer.

Mention of companies or commercial products does not imply 

recommendation or endorsement by the USDA over others not 

mentioned. USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of any 

product mentioned. Product names are mentioned solely to report 

factually on available data and to provide specific information.