The U.S. broiler industry continues to show signs of expansion, according to the latest weekly hatchery report from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
During the most recent reporting week, U.S. hatcheries set 248.953 million broiler eggs in incubators. While both egg sets and chick placements declined compared with the previous week, the longer-term trend remains positive. Cumulative chick placements since the beginning of the year are running approximately 2% above the level recorded during the same period in 2025, indicating that broiler production continues to expand despite normal week-to-week fluctuations.
The latest figures suggest that U.S. chicken supplies are likely to remain elevated over the coming production cycles. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projected higher broiler meat production for 2026, while also warning that increased supplies could continue to put pressure on producer prices and revenues. The weekly USDA NASS hatchery report tracks broiler egg sets and chick placements, providing an early indicator of future chicken production. The data reflect birds entering production rather than chicken meat that has already reached the market.
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