U.S. Animal Death Statistics (Farmed Animals)

Each year, FARM compiles a report on the victims of animal agriculture using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service and the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization. The report covers the number of animals slaughtered as well as those killed by suffocation, starvation, injury, disease, stress, and other deadly practices of factory farming. This report estimates that 10,378 million land animals will be killed for food in 2007, including 39 million cows, 121 million pigs, 4 million sheep and goats, 10 million rabbits, 317 million turkeys, 28 million ducks, 9 billion “broilers” chickens and 450 million “layer” hens.

[Abstract excerpted from press release]:
The total number of land-based animals killed for food in the U.S. in 2007 is projected to reach 10,378 million, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service. This represents no significant change from the 2005/2006 mean of 10,381 million, and a 1% drop in the per capita figure, in light of the 1% annual U.S. population growth.

The 10,357 million land-based animals killed for food in 2006 includes both the 9,432 million animals reported as slaughtered by USDA and an additional 925 million, or 9% of the total, who died lingering deaths from disease, malnutrition, injury, suffocation, stress, or other deadly factory farming practices.

The 10,357 million animals raised and killed for food in 2006 accounted for 98% of land-based animals abused and killed annually in the U.S.