Poultry Death Before Slaughter
How many broiler chickens die or are killed before slaughter? In 2025, about 690 million hatched broiler chickens died or were killed (and were not slaughtered for human meat consumption).[1-3] The National Chicken Council (NCC) estimates broiler mortality rates for 2023 at 5.7%, for 2024 at 5.93%, and for 2025 at 5.95%.[4] These figures do […]
Poultry Factory Farm Sizes
5 KEY POINTS – Poultry Factory Farm Sizes 1. A typical broiler factory farm sells ~775,000 birds per year, maintaining an inventory of ~135,000 birds. 2. A typical broiler house measures 43’x 500’. The newer large houses can be 39,000 sq. feet – about 70% the size of a football field. 3. Broiler houses hold […]
Slaughter & Processing Worker Totals
How many workers are in the livestock/poultry slaughter and processing industry? In 2023, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports there were a total of 545,882 people employed in the entire “animal slaughtering and processing” industry in the U.S. This is ~3% increase from 2022 when there were 530,470 workers.[1] This figure from the BLS […]
Animals Slaughtered for Food
How many land animals are slaughtered for food in the U.S.? In 2025, more than 10 billion land animals were slaughtered for human food consumption.[1-4] In 2025, nearly 100 million more animals were slaughtered than in 2024, and ~150 million more than in 2023. Poultry: USDA NASS (2026) Poultry Slaughter 2025 Summary, ISSN: 2159-7480, […]
Housing & Space Allotments – Cattle & Dairy
What are the conditions for cattle in feedlots? Cattle raised for beef are typically sent to feedlots in the final stage of beef production. Most cattle are kept in outdoor pens, with some kept indoors in confinement structures.[1] Outdoor feedlots are on bare soil and are subdivided into fenced pens with feed troughs. Some lots […]
Humane Methods of Slaughter Act
What is the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act? The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) was enacted to ensure that “the slaughtering of livestock and the handling of livestock in connection with slaughter shall be carried out only by humane methods.”[1] The Act applies only to federally inspected slaughter plants.[2] Humane methods as defined by […]
Housing & Space Allotments – Pigs
What are the most common housing conditions for pigs raised for meat? Housing – Factory farmed pigs raised for meat spend most of their 6-month lives in large, enclosed finishing houses.[1] The houses are divided into rows of metal-fenced pens. A typical size shed is about 20,000 sq. ft. and holds 2,000 to 2,500 pigs. […]
Animal Treatment Laws & Regs Overview
How are federal laws on animal treatment implemented? Laws are written by Congress to assert policy and generally define conduct for those aspects of daily life that operate under the authority of the government. To clarify and implement the laws, regulations are then written by executive agencies, such as the USDA. The USDA then may […]
Factory Farm Locations
In which states are EPA-defined CAFOs most concentrated? According to the EPA 2023 NPDES Permitting Status Report, the following is a ranked list of the top 10 states in which EPA-defined CAFOs are concentrated, along with the numbers of CAFOs with permits in those states.[1] Although the total numbers are a small proportion of total […]
Worker Demographics Takeaways
Worker Demographic Takeaways Takeaways are key points detailed and referenced in the Demographics section Animal Slaughter & Processing The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that in 2023 there were ~546,000 workers in the animal slaughtering and processing industry. Total worker figures are underestimated by the BLS due to the large number of undocumented workers, […]