HDR1012000150090507971500BROILER HATCHERY Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released May 7, 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 5 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 172 million eggs during the week ending May 3, 1997. This was up 5 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 140 million chicks for meat production during the week ending May 3, 1997. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week in 1996. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through May 3, 1997 were 2.48 billion, 3 percent above the 2.42 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 P.M. ET on May 14, 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 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : May 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,138 26,014 26,023 26,566 25,835 25,996 AR : 28,548 29,982 29,644 28,758 29,194 29,282 DE : 4,708 4,606 4,709 4,645 4,408 4,647 FL : 2,563 2,566 2,565 2,587 2,566 2,557 GA : 28,176 30,402 *29,944 30,108 *30,415 29,168 MD : 8,686 8,838 8,691 8,729 8,817 8,718 MS : 17,499 17,462 *17,882 17,942 17,042 17,887 NC : 17,094 17,563 17,536 17,425 17,514 17,287 PA : 3,692 3,709 3,666 3,667 3,711 3,682 SC : 4,341 4,343 4,343 4,355 4,410 4,440 TX : 12,175 12,140 12,189 12,042 *11,968 12,117 VA : 6,670 6,665 6,657 6,664 6,652 6,664 CA, TN, & WV : 9,593 9,203 9,979 10,374 9,291 9,271 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 168,883 173,493 *173,828 173,862 *171,823 171,716 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 163,877 167,141 167,531 166,621 165,453 164,094 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 104 104 104 104 105 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : May 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,167 18,631 18,553 17,898 18,442 18,517 AR : 24,336 24,920 24,526 22,779 23,455 23,762 DE : 5,323 5,163 3,679 5,871 6,010 4,770 FL : 3,136 2,388 2,434 2,574 2,837 2,723 GA : 24,155 23,367 23,211 22,417 *24,052 24,175 MD : 6,396 6,424 6,028 5,812 *5,677 6,530 MS : 14,348 14,809 15,172 15,214 15,374 15,541 NC : 14,129 13,727 13,272 13,269 *13,437 13,654 PA : 2,800 2,667 2,833 2,769 2,710 2,697 SC : 3,554 3,778 3,645 3,656 3,964 3,715 TX : 9,142 *9,131 *9,123 9,133 *9,023 9,082 VA : 4,948 5,542 5,511 5,146 5,363 5,484 CA, TN, & WV : 9,780 9,332 9,538 9,691 *8,821 9,766 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 140,214 *139,879 *137,525 136,229 *139,165 140,416 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 135,348 133,178 133,555 131,473 134,766 136,196 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 104 105 103 104 103 103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised