HDR1012000150090416971500BROILER HATCHERY Released April 16, 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 3 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 173 million eggs during the week ending April 12, 1997. This was up 3 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 3 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 137 million chicks for meat production during the week ending April 12, 1997. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week in 1996. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through April 12, 1997 were 2.07 billion, 2 percent above the 2.02 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 P.M. ET on April 23, 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 :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,593 25,021 *25,803 25,339 25,802 26,023 AR : 29,771 29,969 29,812 28,548 29,982 29,644 DE : 4,620 4,511 4,510 4,708 4,606 4,709 FL : 3,131 2,561 2,556 2,563 2,566 2,565 GA : 29,368 29,633 *29,040 28,214 *30,249 29,989 MD : 8,929 8,893 8,711 8,686 8,838 8,691 MS : 17,341 17,223 17,512 17,499 17,462 17,342 NC : 17,535 17,549 *17,257 *17,094 *17,563 17,536 PA : 3,810 3,571 3,747 3,655 3,649 3,581 SC : 4,343 4,341 4,341 4,341 4,343 4,343 TX : 12,046 12,129 *12,128 *12,151 *12,140 12,188 VA : 6,685 6,620 6,596 6,670 6,665 6,659 CA, TN, & WV : 9,889 9,525 9,517 9,593 9,213 9,979 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 173,061 171,546 *171,530 *169,061 *173,078 173,249 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 167,134 165,162 164,981 163,877 167,141 167,531 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 104 104 104 103 104 103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,443 18,738 18,817 18,167 18,631 18,553 AR : 22,878 24,003 24,161 24,336 24,920 24,526 DE : 5,148 5,302 5,087 5,323 5,163 3,679 FL : 2,774 2,820 2,860 3,136 2,388 2,434 GA : 23,970 24,120 24,269 24,155 *23,367 23,136 MD : 6,381 5,734 5,919 *6,396 *6,424 6,028 MS : 14,936 14,938 14,964 14,348 14,809 15,172 NC : 13,901 13,668 14,284 14,129 13,727 13,272 PA : 2,671 2,588 2,856 2,889 2,737 2,865 SC : 3,799 3,888 3,869 3,554 3,778 3,645 TX : 9,013 9,063 9,015 9,142 *9,132 9,123 VA : 4,919 5,575 5,550 4,948 *5,481 5,380 CA, TN, & WV : 9,896 9,443 9,326 *9,780 *9,440 9,510 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 138,729 139,880 140,977 *140,303 *139,997 137,323 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 134,867 136,979 135,678 135,348 133,178 133,555 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 102 104 104 105 103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised