United Poultry Concerns
22 October 2009
Average and Total Numbers of Animals
Who Died to Feed Americans in 2008

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)
Chickens
for Meat
Chickens for EggsTurkeysPigsSteers & CalvesAll Land AnimalsFishShellfishAll Sea AnimalsAll Animals
20087,673458.0269.2117.640.88,5616,50064,00071,00080,000
20078,024435.4274.2118.443.58,8986,70067,00073,00082,000
20068,031415.0273.0114.942.48,8797,10073,00080,00089,000


Average Number of Animals Consumed Per American Meat Eater
Chickens
for Meat
Chickens for EggsTurkeysPigsSteers & CalvesAll Land AnimalsFishShellfishAll Sea AnimalsAll Animals
2008261.530.910.400.1428.9522218240269
2007271.470.940.400.1530.3723228251281
2006281.420.940.400.1530.6024251275306

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

References
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