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Egg Production From South Dakota Chickens Down 8 Percent

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture says there was an 8 percent drop in egg production from chickens in South Dakota last year.

The USDA released its year-end numbers for 2014 on Thursday. The data show there were 752 million eggs laid in the state during the year ending on November 30. The state also averaged about 2.63 million egg-laying chickens, which is about a 4 percent drop from 2013.

While the state saw a decline in the number of egg-laying hens, the total number of chickens in the state on Dec. 1 was 3.43 million birds, a 5 percent increase over 2013. The number excludes commercial broilers.

The total value of all chickens in South Dakota on Dec. 1 was $7.89 million, down 27 percent from 2013.