(NAFB.com) – USDA’s monthly Chicken and Eggs report released this week shows December egg production increased three percent. United States egg production totaled 9.45 billion during December 2023. Production included 8.14 billion table eggs, and 1.31 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.21 billion were broiler-type and 97.0 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during December 2023 averaged 384 million, up two percent from last year. December egg production per 100 layers was 2,462 eggs, up one percent from December 2022. All layers in the United States on January 1, 2024, totaled 379 million, up one percent from last year. The 379 million layers consisted of 312 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 63.6 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 3.83 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on January 1, 2024, averaged 79.3 eggs per 100 layers, up two percent from January 1, 2023.