U.S. supplies of chicken feet and paws—yes, the flightless birds have paws—jumped to a record for the month of June, Department of Agriculture figures showed on Monday.
Stockpiles of chicken parts classified as “paws and feet” rose to nearly 37 million pounds as of June 30, up from 30.2 million a month earlier and almost double the 19.1 million a year earlier, according to monthly USDA released in Washington.
Domestic stockpiles of chicken feet and paws rose rapidly as the U.S. prepared for a trade war with China, a big market for those particular cuts of the bird. According to the USDA, the two cuts are similar, with chicken feet cut slightly higher on the leg.