Lower values were reported for poultry by-product pet food grade and chicken meal today. Participants have conveyed pet plant closures and diminished pet food demand, which have created excess offerings and in-turn pressured values in several regions. A low of $700/st was reported on poultry by-product pet grade, Southeast. However, the significant drop could not be confirmed as of press time. New ranges were indicated on chicken meal, Mid-South, with offering levels reported as low as $825/st and trades upwards of $950/st. The bulk of trade on chicken meal, Mid-South, was confirmed at $825-925/st.

For the week ending October 21st, 2023, broiler slaughter is anticipated to be 169.807 million head, 2.4 percent below 2022 and 0.5 percent below the previous week (Fig 1). Over the next six weeks, broiler slaughter is projected to average 162.230 million head per week, a drop of 2.7 percent from 2022 but an increase of 2.6 percent compared to 2021.

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