HDR1012000150090326971500BROILER HATCHERY Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 26, 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 172 million eggs during the week ending March 22, 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 83 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Up 5 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 141 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 22, 1997. Placements were up 5 percent from the comparable week in 1996. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through March 22, 1997 were 1.65 billion, 3 percent above the 1.61 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 P.M. ET on April 2, 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 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,752 25,996 *26,108 25,593 25,354 26,026 AR : 29,951 29,862 29,990 29,771 29,969 29,812 DE : 4,678 4,520 4,601 4,620 4,511 4,510 FL : 2,863 3,032 2,927 3,131 2,561 2,556 GA : 29,942 29,994 30,097 29,222 *29,875 29,092 MD : 8,677 8,758 8,718 8,929 8,893 8,711 MS : 17,391 17,297 17,246 17,347 *17,223 17,512 NC : 17,639 17,629 *17,929 17,535 17,621 17,158 PA : 3,554 3,468 3,655 *3,810 *3,571 3,747 SC : 4,406 4,403 4,340 4,343 4,341 4,341 TX : 12,116 12,132 12,143 *12,047 *12,134 12,129 VA : 6,647 6,565 6,583 6,685 6,620 6,596 CA, TN, & WV : 10,088 9,710 9,523 9,889 9,525 9,517 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 173,704 173,366 *173,860 *172,922 *172,198 171,707 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 168,695 167,796 167,104 166,580 164,608 164,399 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 103 104 104 105 104 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,028 18,184 19,016 18,443 18,738 18,817 AR : 24,562 22,949 24,497 22,878 24,003 24,161 DE : 5,497 4,803 5,966 5,148 5,302 5,087 FL : 2,528 2,495 2,676 2,774 2,820 2,860 GA : 23,623 23,915 23,606 23,970 *24,120 24,302 MD : 5,328 6,607 5,402 6,381 *5,734 5,919 MS : 13,988 14,142 14,435 14,936 14,938 14,790 NC : 13,007 13,608 13,611 13,901 13,668 14,284 PA : 2,787 2,908 2,952 *2,671 *2,588 2,856 SC : 3,158 3,779 3,894 3,799 *3,888 3,869 TX : 8,940 8,952 8,967 *8,985 9,035 8,987 VA : 5,128 4,969 5,621 4,919 5,575 5,618 CA, TN, & WV : 9,544 9,091 9,177 9,896 9,443 9,326 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 136,118 136,402 139,820 *138,701 *139,852 140,876 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 131,709 131,680 132,418 134,071 136,164 134,718 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 104 106 103 103 105 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.