US Broiler Market Outlook Week 36, September 8, 2025

A strong downtrend is always followed by a pause or rebound. Traders lock in profits from short positions, which also pushes the price higher. If the rally continues in the coming weeks and the price consolidates above 120 cents, this could signal a reversal of the upward trend. This could be caused by a significant supply contraction or a surge in demand.

Average prices for chicken cuts have shown a downward trend. The decline affected all premium and most popular summer products. This suggests that weak demand after Labor Day outweighed any potential pent-up supply. Grilling and premium products saw the largest declines. Chicken breasts fell 7.5%. This sharp decline confirms that the primary demand for barbecue breasts has completely dried up after the holiday. Retailers are selling off remaining stock without making any major new purchases.

Breast fillet prices fell by 5.6%. Demand from restaurants and catering establishments failed to offset the overall market decline.  

The price of chicken wings also dropped significantly. This is an important signal. Even the robust demand for wings couldn't withstand the overall downward market pressure. This indicates a deep correction. The price drop even for budget-friendly categories—drumsticks (-3.3%) and minced chicken (-3.6%)—means that consumer demand has declined overall. This may be due to families saving after summer spending.

The only price increase was for chicken legs (+2.0%). There may be several reasons for this increase. First, seasonality. With the onset of cooler weather, consumers switch from quick grilled dishes (breasts, wings) to more filling, stewed, and baked dishes. Legs are ideal for this. Also, compared to breasts, legs are a cheaper source of MEAT. Amid a general decline in purchasing power, consumers may switch to more affordable options. Finally, producers and processors, seeing a decline in demand for breasts, may reallocate resources, which has little impact on the prices of other parts of the carcass.

Price dynamics and sales volumes of broilers

Average weighted price of broilers by region

Region

Average price, cents/pound

Sales volume (thousand pounds)

Week 35

Week 36

Weekly growth,%

Week 35

Week 36

Weekly growth,%

Oriental

116.45

117.29

0.7%

4,750

4 109

-13.5%

Central

105.33

105.58

0.2%

3,037

2,702

-11.0%

West

131.28

131.90

0.5%

3,313

3,050

-7.9%

Chicken cutting price dynamics

Weekly reviews are available with a subscription.