HDR1012000150090312971500BROILER HATCHERY Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 12, 1997, 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 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Broiler Eggs Set In 15 Selected States Up 4 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 173 million eggs during the week ending March 8, 1997. This was up 4 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 82 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Up 3 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 139 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 8, 1997. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week in 1996. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through March 8, 1997 were 1.37 billion, 2 percent above the 1.34 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 P.M. ET on March 19, 1997. 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 :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 1 : Feb 8 : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,159 25,655 25,752 25,996 26,008 25,593 AR : 30,087 30,092 29,951 29,862 29,990 29,771 DE : 4,681 4,696 4,678 4,520 4,601 4,620 FL : 2,854 2,792 2,863 3,032 2,927 3,131 GA : 29,126 29,623 29,942 29,880 *30,097 29,173 MD : 8,745 8,687 8,677 8,758 8,718 8,929 MS : 17,040 17,292 17,391 17,297 17,246 17,347 NC : 17,056 17,700 *17,559 17,447 18,013 17,596 PA : 3,607 3,736 3,554 3,468 3,576 3,699 SC : 4,397 4,355 4,406 4,403 4,340 4,343 TX : 12,091 12,106 *12,116 12,627 *12,143 12,077 VA : 6,706 6,674 6,647 6,565 6,583 6,685 CA, TN, & WV : 9,349 9,443 10,085 9,707 9,523 9,889 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 170,898 172,851 *173,621 173,562 *173,765 172,853 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 166,116 167,122 168,695 167,796 167,104 166,580 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 103 103 103 104 104 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 1 : Feb 8 : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,578 17,849 18,028 18,184 19,016 18,443 AR : 24,392 23,525 24,562 22,949 24,497 22,878 DE : 5,244 5,084 5,497 4,803 5,966 5,148 FL : 2,341 2,851 2,528 2,495 2,676 2,774 GA : *23,830 *23,454 *23,623 23,915 *23,606 23,973 MD : 5,946 5,591 5,328 6,607 *5,402 6,380 MS : 14,640 13,967 13,988 14,142 14,435 14,936 NC : 13,064 12,770 13,007 *13,611 13,611 13,866 PA : 2,629 2,570 2,787 2,908 2,795 2,747 SC : 3,724 3,855 3,158 3,779 3,894 3,799 TX : 8,964 8,734 8,940 8,952 8,967 8,984 VA : 4,760 4,873 5,128 4,969 5,621 4,919 CA, TN, & WV : 8,670 8,604 9,544 9,092 *9,177 9,896 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total :*136,782 *133,727 *136,118 *136,406 *139,663 138,743 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 134,319 133,801 131,709 131,680 132,418 134,071 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 102 100 103 104 105 103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised