HDR1012000150090508961500BROILER HATCHERY Released May 8, 1996, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Broiler Hatchery" call Tom Kruchten at (202) 690-4870, office hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. For assistance with general agricultural statistics, information about NASS, its products or services, contact the NASS Information Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail: NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV. Broiler Eggs Set In 15 Selected States Down 1 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 164 million eggs during the week ending May 4, 1996. This was down 1 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 83 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Up Slightly Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 135 million chicks for meat production during the week ending May 4, 1996. Placements were up slightly from the comparable week in 1995. Cumulative placements from December 31, 1995, through May 4, 1996, were 2.41 billion, 1 percent above the 2.38 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 P.M. ET on May 15, 1996. Subscription Information To subscribe to NASS reports or to order single copies, call toll free, 1-800-999-6779. You may write: ERS/NASS, 341 Victory Drive, Herndon, VA 22070. Broiler Eggs Set in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 30 : Apr 6 : Apr 13 : Apr 20 : Apr 27 : May 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 23,135 *24,044 24,100 23,613 23,751 23,497 AR : 28,368 29,169 *28,830 *28,944 26,713 27,651 DE : 4,159 4,285 4,391 4,311 4,160 4,388 FL : 2,785 *2,872 2,710 2,626 2,689 2,826 GA : 28,262 *28,843 *28,956 *28,566 *28,766 28,875 MD : 8,832 8,772 8,594 8,439 8,518 8,464 MS : 16,122 15,917 15,922 15,792 15,995 16,193 NC : 17,526 17,554 17,704 17,972 17,363 17,103 PA : 3,238 3,318 3,315 3,179 3,289 3,297 SC : 4,182 4,275 4,323 4,271 *4,211 4,274 TX : 11,358 *11,507 *11,787 *11,225 *11,763 11,557 VA : 6,335 6,342 6,285 6,327 6,305 6,274 CA, TN, & WV : 9,341 9,445 9,982 9,975 9,388 9,647 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 163,643 *166,343 *166,899 *165,240 *162,911 164,046 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995 Total : 165,004 166,109 166,244 165,507 164,315 165,324 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 99 100 100 100 99 99 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BROILER CHICKS PLACED IN 15 SELECTED STATES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 30 : Apr 6 : Apr 13 : Apr 20 : Apr 27 : May 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 16,853 16,570 16,852 16,378 16,955 16,964 AR : 22,871 *22,840 *22,887 *21,136 22,188 22,685 DE : 5,157 4,802 4,508 5,430 *4,654 4,967 FL : 2,575 *2,719 *2,683 *2,510 2,688 2,574 GA : 23,756 22,668 23,249 *22,863 *23,433 23,590 MD : 6,380 6,507 6,354 5,419 *6,699 6,193 MS : 13,447 12,976 13,249 14,021 14,095 14,087 NC : 13,879 13,927 14,001 13,760 14,013 14,464 PA : 2,526 2,543 2,417 2,496 2,514 2,570 SC : 3,990 3,531 3,365 3,851 *3,403 3,576 TX : 8,592 *8,370 *8,288 *8,204 *8,642 8,606 VA : 5,132 5,264 5,440 5,505 5,284 4,986 CA, TN, & WV : 9,648 9,427 9,306 *8,801 9,270 9,892 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 134,806 *132,144 *132,599 *130,374 *133,838 135,154 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995 Total : 135,083 134,786 133,373 133,791 135,866 135,124 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 100 98 99 97 99 100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised