Source:  Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 5/26/09

The number of broiler-type pullets (young breeder hens) hatched in April fell 13.5 percent from the same month a year earlier, according to USDA reports. That's the biggest decline in that number since May 1992.

Meanwhile, the total number of pullets in inventory dropped 4.6 percent in April, compared with the same month a year earlier. It's the biggest drop in that measure since November 2005.

Generally, the drop in pullets available to produce chicks for consumption should limit supply and push prices higher down the road, notes J.P. Morgan equity analyst Ken Goldberg. The sector might see a price increase in the fall and into January.

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