Chicken Trends
January 9, 2026
Poultry market information is from the week of January 7, 2026.
Broiler Type Eggs Set in incubators +1% from last year
Broiler Type Chicks placed for meat production +1%
Jumbo Wings ↗
Jumbo Breast Meat ↗
This week, analysts reported that pricing on jumbo and medium breast meat and wings, as well as boneless skinless thigh meat, increased, while all other cuts and sizes remained flat. Analysts expect pricing to be slightly higher on breasts, tenders and wings through January. They also report that livability and live weights were stable compared to the same time last year. Analysts expect supply to stabilize following the end-of-year holidays, while they expect demand to continue to increase through the NFL postseason
Broiler-type Eggs Set in the
United States Up 1%
Per the weekly USDA Broiler Hatchery report, hatcheries in the United States weekly program set 253 million eggs in incubators during the week ending January 3, 2026, up 1% from a year ago. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week in the United States was 79.6%. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier.
Broiler-type Chicks Placed in the United States Up 1%
Per the weekly USDA Broiler Hatchery report, broiler growers in the United States weekly program placed 197 million chicks for meat production during the week ending January 4, 2026, up 2% from a year ago. Cumulative placements for the weeks ending January 4, 2025 through January 3, 2026, for the United States were 10.2 billion. Cumulative placements were up 1% from the same period a year earlier.
Whole Chicken & Cut-up Parts
Analysts report that small bird and larger whole bird overall demand increased slightly this week, and that pricing has also increased slightly.
Boneless, Skinless Thighs
Analysts report that boneless, skinless thigh meat pricing increased this week. Spot load offerings of boneless thigh meat are not available, according to analysts, who expect the market to steadily increase during January.
Boneless, Skinless Breasts
& Chicken Tenderloins
Pricing for medium and jumbo breast meat increased, according to analysts. Spot loads of jumbo breast meat have been uncovered, with pricing reflecting a tighter market, they reported. Demand by Further Processors and the retail segment for breast meat is uneventful, they said. Analysts expect the jumbo boneless breast market to be flat to slightly higher through January. According to industry analysts, some processors are being challenged with labor shortages and transportation issues.
According to analysts, all sizes of tenders were stable, which they expect should continue in the near term. Fresh jumbo spot loads have been uncovered, but discounts have diminished. Frozen products can be sourced with attractive pricing, analysts said. They expect these markets to be flat to slightly higher through January.
Wings
Small wings remained stable this week, while medium and jumbo wings increased, according to analysts. Supplies of spot loads of jumbo and medium fresh wings are slim, and pricing is competitive, they reported. Analysts also predict that due to medium bird processors taking their bird weights up to a jumbo size, the market will continue to see pressure in terms of consistent fresh medium wing availability. Demand from the retail segment and Further Processors for all sizes of wings is minimal, according to analysts.
Commodity Trends at Your Fingertips: Dive Into the Farmer's Report
The data contained in the Farmer’s Report is provided for informational purposes only, is not tailored to your specific purchasing needs, and is not intended as a substitute for any other publicly-available market data or information. The Farmer’s Report is compiled from the last-received market data provided by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and/or other market sources, and is subject to change without notice. Nothing herein is the opinion of US Foods®. US Foods neither assumes any legal liability nor makes any warranty or guaranty, either express or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy or usefulness of this information.