Americans to eat estimated 1.23 billion chicken wings during Super Bowl weekend, prices hit record

(WXYZ) - Americans will eat more than 1.23 billion chicken wings during the 2013 Super Bowl weekend, according to the National Chicken Council.

The council says there is an all-time high demand for the staple food as the second biggest eating day of the year nears.

But despite the all-time high demand, the consumption is actually down one percent this year due to high corn and feed prices.

“Chicken companies produced about one percent fewer birds last year, due in large part to record high corn and feed prices,” Roenigk said in a news release.  “Corn makes up more than two-thirds of chicken feed and corn prices hit an all-time high in 2012, due to two reasons:  last summer’s drought and pressure from a federal government requirement that mandates 40 percent of our corn crop be turned into fuel in the form of ethanol.  Simply put, less corn equals higher feed costs, which means fewer birds produced.”

The National Council said in a news release that wings are $2.11 a pound, the highest on record at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, up 26 cents from last year.

For more information on chicken wings, go here: http://www.nationalchickencouncil.org/americans-to-eat-1-23-billion-chicken-wings-super-bowl-weekend/