September’s kickoff of football season coincides with the celebration of America’s favorite game day protein.
For over two decades, the National Chicken Council has joined other chicken organizations in the U.S. to promote chicken sales in September.
National Chicken Month offers the chance to celebrate Virginia’s important poultry industry, for example. According to the most recent U.S. Census of Agriculture, 1,168 farms produced over 55 million broilers and other meat-type chickens in 2022. The top producing counties were Rockingham, Accomack and Shenandoah – with those three producing 67% of the state’s inventory.
Virginia also ranked 11th nationally for liveweight broiler production in 2023, producing about 2 million pounds, according to data from USDA.
According to USDA, U.S. consumers on average will eat an amazing 96.8 pounds of chicken per person this year, with consumption nearly twice that of beef and pork. Consumption especially soars during the height of football season as fans across the country choose chicken wings for their game day snacks.
The National Chicken Council’s 2024 Wing Report predicted Americans would devour 1.45 billion chicken wings during this past February’s Super Bowl. That’s enough for every man, woman and child in the U.S. to eat four wings each. If laid end-to-end, the wings would stretch a third of the way to the moon.
And chicken remains “center of the plate” as a top protein choice for one in two consumers, according to a recent IRI Chicken Marketing Summit survey. Findings suggest that consumers are eating chicken more often, with 88% saying they eat chicken more than once a week because it’s a healthy choice, versatile and provides the best value for the price.
Next to offering countless culinary options, chicken contains all nine essential amino acids needed in the human diet. Eating chicken provides vitamins and minerals involved in brain function, builds muscle, promotes heart health, strengthens bones and aids in weight loss, according to the National Chicken Council.
Consumers can celebrate the country’s most-consumed protein by dining out, hosting a chicken feast or learning a new recipe. The National Chicken Council’s Chicken Roost website offers plenty of kitchen inspiration.
