Monthly broiler production for June 2026 totaled 4,244 million pounds, up 7.8 percent year-overyear. This was a result of both higher slaughter (up 1.9 percent on a per-slaughter-day basis from the same month in 2026) and slightly higher average live weights. June slaughter data closed the quarter, resulting in a second-quarter total production of 12,421 million pounds, up 4.5 percent year-over-year.
Broiler-type chicks hatched in June totaled 871.5 million chicks, up 1.7 percent year-over-year. This continues a trend of increased hatch totals; since May 2025, each monthly hatch total has been higher than the same month of the prior year. Hatched chicks can be expected to appear in monthly slaughter data the second month after hatching.
Reflecting recent hatch data, the third-quarter production forecast is adjusted upward to 12,800 million pounds, an increase of 3.0 percent from the third quarter of 2025. For the fourth quarter, projected production is unchanged at 12,400 million pounds, up 2.3 percent year-over-year. Incorporating new data and revised forecasts, the new 2026 total broiler production forecast is 49,623 million pounds, a 3.4-percent increase from 2025. The 2027 projection is unchanged at 49,900 million pounds, up 0.6 percent from the forecast 2026 total.
First-Half 2026 Broiler Exports Slightly Above Last Year
Broiler exports in June 2026 totaled 531.9 million pounds, up 2.7 percent from the same month in 2025. For the first half of the year, broiler exports totaled 3,228 million pounds, up 0.8 percent from the same period in 2025. Shipments to the top 5 U.S. export destinations (Mexico, Cuba, Canada, the Philippines, and Taiwan) in the first 6 months of 2026 were all lower than they were in the same period of 2025. These decreases were more than offset by increased shipments to smaller markets in the rest of the world, as well as an increased total number of destinations compared to last year. With the outlying quarterly export projections unchanged at 1,640 million pounds in the third quarter and 1,725 million pounds in the fourth, the new 2026 total broiler export projection is 6,593 million pounds, down 72 million pounds from 2025. The 2027 projection is unchanged at 6,575 million pounds.
Broiler imports in June totaled 11.7 million pounds, making the second-quarter total 32.8 million pounds. With actual data for the first half of the year and second-half expectations unchanged, the broiler import projection for 2026 is 134 million pounds. The 2027 projection is unchanged at 132 million pounds.
Broiler Prices Adjusted Lower for 2026
The national composite wholesale whole broiler price averaged 118.4 cents per pound in July, down 4.4 cents from June. This was the lowest monthly average price in 2026. After weekly prices trended lower in July, the weekly price in the first week of August declined further, averaging 116.92 cents per pound. Reflecting recent trends in the national composite price, the projected average prices for the third and fourth quarters of 2026 were adjusted down to 116 cents and 118 cents per pound, respectively. This results in a new 2026 average projection of 119.0 cents per pound, down from 124.8 cents per pound in 2025. The 2027 projected average price is unchanged at 121.5 cents per pound.
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