Animals In Print
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From 29 Oct 2009 Issue

Average And Total Numbers Of Animals Who Died To Feed Americans In 2008

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22 October 2009
http://www.upc-online.org/slaughter/2008americans.html

Chickens
Total number died for food: 8.13 billion (7.67 billion for meat, 458 million for eggs)
Average number killed per American meat-eater: 27.5 (26 for meat, 1.5 for eggs)
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 2,147 (2,028 for meat, 120 for eggs)

Turkeys
Total number died for food: 269 million
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 0.91
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 71

Pigs
Total number died for food: 117.6 million
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 0.40
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 31

Steers and Calves
Total number died for food: 40.8 million
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 0.14
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 10.8

Rabbits
Total number died for food: 2.4 million
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 0.009
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 0.69

Fish
Total number died for food: 6.5 billion
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 22
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 1,700

Shellfish
Total number died for food: 64 billion
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 218
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 17,000

ALL LAND ANIMALS
Total number died for food: 8.56 billion
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 29
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 2,261

ALL SEA ANIMALS
Total number died for food: 71 billion
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 240
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 19,000

ALL ANIMALS
Total number died for food: 80 billion
Average number consumed per American meat-eater: 270
Average number consumed per American lifetime: 21,000

* Note: Totals may not add up because of independent rounding.

Comparisons by Year
The average meat-eater in 2008 ate 12 fewer animals than in 2007 (including 1.4 fewer land animals and 0.7 fewer fish), and 36 fewer than in 2006 (including 1.7 fewer land animals and 2.4 fewer fish). That's 3 billion fewer animals killed to feed Americans in 2008 than in 2007, and about 9 billion fewer than in 2006, a three percent and ten percent decrease respectively. That includes more than 300 million fewer land animals in 2008 than in 2007 or 2006, a four percent decrease. This decrease was consistent across categories, though greatest for cattle and for chickens raised for meat; only egg-laying hens saw an increase in deaths.

Total Number Died to Feed Americans (millions of animals)

	2008	2007	2006
Chickens for Meat	7,673	8,024	8,031
Chickens for Eggs	458.0	435.4	415.0
Turkeys	269.2	274.2	273.0
Pigs	117.6	118.4	114.9
Steers & Calves	40.8	43.5	42.4
All Land Animals	8,561	8,898	8,879
Fish	6,500	6,700	7,100
Shellfish	64,000	67,000	73,000
All Sea Animals	71,000	73,000	80,000
All Animals	80,000	82,000	89,000

Average Number of Animals Consumed Per American Meat Eater

	2008	2007	2006
Chickens for Meat	26	27	28
Chickens for Eggs	1.53	1.47	1.42
Turkeys	0.91	0.94	0.94
Pigs	0.40	0.40	0.40
Steers & Calves	0.14	0.15	0.15
All Land Animals	28.95	30.37	30.60
Fish	22	23	24
Shellfish	218	228	251
All Sea Animals	240	251	275
All Animals	269	281	306

Calculated by Noam Mohr, noammohr@gmail.com , Aug 2009

References
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, "Livestock Slaughter 2008 Summary", Mt An 1-2 -1 (09), Mar 2009,
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/LiveSlauSu/LiveSlauSu-03-06-2009.pdf, p. 3.

USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, "Production, Supply, and Distribution Database", created 4/9/09,
http://www.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/psdhome.aspx (under Reports). From
USDA-FAS attache reports, official statistics, and results of office research. 2008 data is preliminary

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service,
http://www.nass.usda.gov/QuickStats/PullData_US.jsp

U.S. Census Bureau, "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2000 to
July 1, 2008 (NST-EST2008-01)", http://www.census.gov/popest/states/NST-ann-est.html.

National Center for Health Statistics, "Health, United States, 2008: With Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, DHHS Publication No. 2009-1232, Mar 2009,
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus08.pdf.

VRG survey that 2.8%±3.1% of Americans don't eat animals and 1.8%±3.1% are vegan.
Source: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2003issue3/vj2003issue3poll.htm

USDA NASS, "Meat Animals Production, Disposition, and Income: 2008 Summary", Mt An 1-1 (09), May 2009,
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/MeatAnimPr/MeatAnimPr-05-29-2009.pdf (pigs: p.8-11)

USDA APHIS Veterinary Service - National Animal Health Monitoring System, "Swine 2006 - Part I: Reference of Swine Health and Management
Practices in the United States, 2006", Oct 2007, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs/nahms/swine/swine2006/Swine2006_Pt1.pdf
(Preweaning deaths: of 10.5±.1 born alive per litter, 9.4±.1 (89.1%±.4%) survive to weaning)

USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service Agricultural Statistics Board, "Chicken and Eggs 2008 Summary", Pou 2-4(09), Feb 2009,
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/ChickEgg//2000s/2009/ChickEgg-02-26-2009.pdf, p.4-5.

USDA ERS, "Agricultural Outlook: Statistical Indicators", "Table 11--US Egg Supply and Use", data as of May 2009,
http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/agoutlook/aotables/. Data preliminary.

USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service, "Hatchery Production 2008 Summary", Agricultural Statistics Board, Pou 1-1-1 (09), May
2009, http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/HatcProdSu/HatcProdSu-05-15-2009.pdf, p.6,36,39.

Noam Mohr, "Sea Animal Mortality for US Consumption 2008", 2009,
email noammohr@gmail.com  for a copy.
13 USDA APHIA Veterinary Service, "U.S. Rabbit Industry Profile", June 2002, pp.8,18, http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/cei/bi/emergingmarketcondition_files/RabbitReport1.pdf.
Middle of range of 1.9-2.3 million was used herein (2.1 million).

USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service Agricultural Statistics Board, "Poultry Slaughter 2008 Annual Summary", Pou 2-1(09), Feb 2009,
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/nass/PoulSlauSu//2000s/2009/PoulSlauSu-02-25-2009.pdf, p.2. (Egg-type are "mature light")

Source CompassionAction@aol.com .

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