Drumsticks have become an inexpensive staple in many households. While historically drumsticks were more expensive, a combination of increased supply and changes in consumer demand have driven prices down over the past few decades. This article will explore the factors that have made drumsticks so affordable in today’s markets.
Increased Production and Supply
One of the main reasons drumsticks have become cheaper is that more of them are being produced than ever before. According to the US Department of Agriculture, chicken production grew steadily in the second half of the 20th century. In 1960, 9 billion pounds of chicken were processed in the US. By 1990 that number had nearly tripled to 26 billion pounds. And by 2010, chicken production exceeded 43 billion pounds per year.
This ramp up in production was made possible by advances in chicken farming techniques and equipment. The development of vertical integration in the poultry industry also boosted efficiency. With large companies overseeing every stage from breeding to processing, costs per pound decreased significantly. More streamlined operations and economies of scale drove down prices. With such an abundance of chicken being raised, the supply of drumsticks increased as well.
Increased Efficiency in Production
In addition to sheer volume, the way chickens are raised today has also lowered costs. Selective breeding programs have created breeds of birds that grow much faster and convert feed more efficiently. While in 1925, it took 16 weeks for a chicken to grow to 3 pounds, now they can reach 5 pounds in just 7 weeks. That means each chicken can be sent to market in nearly half the time.
Housing for meat chickens has also improved with large, climate-controlled barns that accommodate tens of thousands of birds. Modern equipment automates tasks like feeding and watering for less labor. And processing plants utilize advanced mechanization to butcher and package chickens rapidly. The net result is each pound of chicken costs less to produce. With drumsticks making up a set percentage of a bird’s weight, their pricing fell in step with broader chicken prices.
Price Competition in the Market
While chicken producers have gotten more efficient, keeping costs down has also been a priority when selling to consumers. Especially with drumsticks, companies know price drives purchases for this inexpensive cut. Offering drumsticks and other chicken parts for low prices brings shoppers into stores. Even at razor thin profit margins, drumstick sales boost overall business.
This tactic brings drumstick costs down through price competition. To attract budget-conscious customers, major brands and grocery chains keep the pricing on commodity chicken parts like drumsticks aggressively low. They accept small profits knowing the discounted prices will get consumers through the door to buy other items with higher margins. This strategy has made drumsticks a go-to source of cheap meat for many shoppers.
Less Desirable Perception
Another piece of the cheap drumstick puzzle relates to consumer perception. Unlike chicken breasts or wings, drumsticks are not considered premium cuts. The legs get more exercise than the breast during a chicken’s life, so the meat can be slightly tougher and less tender. The bones make drumsticks more difficult and messy to eat as well. And since they are fattier than white meat, health-conscious diners often avoid them.
This makes drumsticks less desirable overall, limiting demand and prices. While chicken breasts and wings now sell at premiums, the humble drumstick remains an affordable option. Their perception as a lower grade cut keeps drumstick costs down compared to other parts.
More Uses for Chicken Parts
In the past, chicken drumsticks and other parts only had value as human food. Now with the massive scale of chicken production, there are more commercial uses being found for chicken byproducts. Inedible parts like bones and feathers go into products like pet foods and fertilizers. Even fat and skin get rendered for applications ranging from soap to biofuels.
This means companies can earn additional revenue from each bird beyond fresh retail cuts for consumers. With more ways to profit from every chicken, the costs of drumstick production are lower. Some of the expenses of raising chickens can be offset by these other streams of income. And leftover pieces that once went to waste provide extra earnings.
Slow Demand Growth
Although chicken production has steadily risen over decades, demand has not grown at quite the same pace. Americans certainly eat more chicken now than 50 years ago. But the amplifying production levels have outstripped demand. This results in gluts of certain cuts like drumsticks from time to time, forcing prices down until supply and demand rebalance.
Poultry industry groups have launched advertising and highlighted nutrition to encourage more chicken consumption. But drumsticks remain one of the cheapest options since demand trails supply. Until more consumers crave drumsticks and legs compared to boneless breasts, prices are likely to stay low based on this imbalanced dynamic.
Lower Input Costs
The raw materials costs for producing drumsticks have also decreased over time, enabling lower retail pricing. Chicken feed was once dominated by corn and soybeans. Now poultry rations include more affordable grains like wheat and milo. Processing plants substitute cheaper ingredients into marinades and flavor injections. Farm equipment costs have dropped as technology advances. And genetics companies offer high performing chicken breeds at ever lower fees.
With cheaper supporting goods all down the supply chain, drumstick costs are lower at each step. Farmers can raise them for less, plants can process them for less, and stores can sell them to consumers for less. Falling input costs have helped make drumsticks inexpensive on the shelf.
Smaller Profit Margins Accepted
Retailers and restaurants have also played a role in inexpensive drumstick prices by accepting smaller profit margins. This is especially true in the fast food industry. Rather than passing higher costs along to customers, chains selling fried chicken have kept meal deals affordable despite inflationary pressures.
Quick service restaurants know drumsticks are key to providing customers a filling, budget-friendly meal. Even if their own costs rise, they try to keep prices stable to maintain market share. This mentality translates down to keeping drumstick prices low. Companies absorb more changes in input costs themselves rather than raise menu prices drastically.
Case Study: Cost Pressures at KFC
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) has kept their 8 piece chicken meal deals around $5-6 for over a decade now. This has required keeping drumstick prices low despite higher expenses for labor, transportation, packaging, and more impacting their business model. KFC corporate determines wholesale drumstick costs its franchisees pay to keep them profitable but accessible to customers. Rather than compromise their value menu, KFC has accepted squeezes on profitability to keep drumsticks cheap.
Lower Transportation Expenses
Transporting chickens and drumsticks from farms to processing facilities to distribution centers has also become less expensive. Improvements in supply chain management ensure trucks and cargo vehicles operate closer to capacity. Sophisticated logistics coordination plans the most efficient routes. And retailers typically pay for shipping, keeping transportation costs off the chicken supplier’s books.
Equipment advances like refrigerated trucks keep drumsticks fresher while in transit too. With a sprawling supply chain, each transportation link operating on tight margins prevents inflation down the value chain. This enables drumsticks to stay inexpensive for customers, even when they ship thousands of miles from farm to store.
Food Safety Cost Savings
Modern food safety practices have also curbed costs in drumstick supply chains. Extensive sanitation protocols at processing plants increase shelf life. Flash freezing right after harvest also extends freshness. And antimicrobial rinses during packaging protect freshness and reduce contamination risks.
These investments in safety have huge benefits for efficiency. With lower product loss to spoilage and illness, more of each chicken successfully makes it to consumers. The savings from less waste compound across the supply chain, ultimately making drumsticks less expensive. Food safety measures can add expenses, but pay off through more profitable operations overall.
Lower Cost Expectations
Lastly, consumer expectations around pricing play a role in keeping drumstick costs down. Shoppers have become accustomed to cheap chicken prices in general, viewing them as an affordable dietary staple. When prices increase even modestly, customers balk at the change and buy less. This price sensitivity reinforces the need for poultry brands to keep drumsticks inexpensive to retain market share.
Decades ago, chicken was more of a special meal. Now consumers view it as an everyday protein. This mentality and resistance to higher prices keeps pressure on producers to limit drumstick cost inflation. Companies thread the needle between covering expenses and setting prices acceptable to buyers. Customer expectations contribute to prices staying low.
Conclusion
Drumsticks have fallen in cost due to a range of long-running industry trends. Massive production volumes bring scale. Efficiency innovations lower input costs. Companies compete on price and absorb thinner margins. Different business income streams develop. Transportation and safety advances reduce product losses. And customers expect consistently inexpensive prices. Together these forces have shaped the budget-friendly drumstick prices seen in stores today. For a tasty source of protein on a budget, drumsticks fit the bill.