Food - Drink
Which US State Produces The Most Chicken
By KATHERINE BECK
Chicken is praised for its ability to appeal to people of all ages and for the variety of recipes and creative approaches you can use to prepare it, from coq au vin to chicken nuggets for the children. The average 8 billion chickens consumed annually in the United States—a number that has increased by 70% since 1990—underscores the food's popularity.
Of all chicken production in the U.S, Iowa takes the cake with the production of 60 million chickens in 2021 alone, followed by Ohio with 45.8 million. Iowa also leads the reigns as the top state for egg production, with a whopping 56 million of their 60 million chickens being used to provide this delicious natural food.
Funny enough, even though Iowa produces the most chickens, they actually don’t break into the top five for chicken meat produced; Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, North Carolina and Mississippi take the lead in that department. However, according to the North Central Poultry Association, their numbers are on the rise.