Chapter 2 - Kentucky Poultry Industry Facts

ECONOMICS

• $814 million industry
• 15.5% of the product being produced is exported, meaning that $108.5 million per year is coming into Kentucky from international trade
• 7,000 industry employees
• Pays out $133.8 million in salaries and wages and over $91 million in grower payments
• 30% of workforce is supervisors, skilled maintenance, professional truck drivers, and quality assurance technicians.

FARMS

• 850 poultry farms, with 2,800 poultry houses in 42 counties
• The average poultry farm is owned and managed by a family farmer and consists of less than five poultry houses
• Many farmers enter the business to diversify their revenue because of their concerns about tobacco's future

POULTRY-RELATED AGRIBUSINESS

• Kentucky's poultry industry uses 29% ($74,709,384) or 35.8 million bushels of Kentucky's corn crop
• 32% or 335,000 tons of it's soybean crop
• Kentucky's grain farmers realize a 10-15¢ per bushel premium from poultry giving them a $10-$15 million bonus for their grain

INFRASTRUCTURE

• The Kentucky poultry industry has made a large investment in facilities. This investment includes:
  • 5 broiler hatcheries
  • 2 primary breeder hatcheries
  • 6 feed mills
  • 4 processing plants
  • 3 layer complexes
  • A protein conversion plant
  • 850 poultry farms with 2,800 poultry houses