Poultry industry is a billion dollar industry in Louisiana

News flash: The poultry industry in Louisiana is a billion dollar industry, which makes it the largest animal agriculture industry in Louisiana.
The industry contributes $1.25 billion to the state’s economy, making it the second-largest segment of Louisiana’s agriculture industries.
The Abbeville Rotary Club learned that small bit of information at Wednesday morning breakfast meeting at the Abbeville Country Club.
The Rotarians got educated by LSU Ag Center Agent Hilton Waits and VC student Bret Lee, who is a 4-H poultry expert.
The Rotarians learned the chicken industry continues to grow each year.
In 1998, the poultry industry contributed $759 million to the state’s economy. In 2013 it jumped to $1.25 billion.
Lee said the biggest part of the poultry industry is the broiler industry (raising chickens for meat). The broiler industry has 367 producers and produces 911 million pounds of meat.
The northern part of Louisiana is where you can find all of the broiler producers.
Another part of the poultry industry is egg production.
The state produces 19 million dozen eggs each year, which brings in $47 million to the state’s economy.
What can be found in Vermilion Parish are backyard flocks. Lee said more and more residents are getting their own chickens for egg harvesting.
Consumers are learning that eggs are healthy. Each egg has 70 calories and contains 6.3 grams of protein. An egg has no carbs or sugar.
“Eggs are inexpensive and valuable in health,” Lee said.
Lee said there is no difference healthwise between eating a raw egg and a cooked egg.
Rotarians asked if there is a difference between white colored eggs and brown eggs. Wilton said commercial eggs are white, while most home grown chickens lay brown eggs. Both eggs are healthy, he said.