COVID-19 Outbreak (Update: More than 2.9M cases and 132,313 deaths in US)

Jeff said

Cost of continued feeding is certainly part of it. I don't know how it translates across the meat spectrum but I've often heard re: chickens that the process can't deviate too far from certain norms. Chickens get too big and the processing doesn't work as well. Take that with a grain of salt but it does make sense that equipment has limitations and the livestock needs to be within certain perameters.

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Basically a lot of animals are in the pipeline so to speak and if you stop slaughter for a month you essentially are a month behind with a ton of extra birds that have no where to go as most plants run near capacity anyway. Besides, restaurants, fast food, most producers want a certain size of bird which works out to a consistent product either 4 or 6 ounces. Huge chickens have very few selling points.

Cattle and hogs here again processed on size. A steak is so big. A roast same way. Consistently is king. Older animals can be slaughtered, but generally younger animals are more tender and marble better also.