HDR1012000150091008971500BROILER HATCHERY Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 8, 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 169 million eggs during the week ending October 4, 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 81 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Up 2 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 130 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 4, 1997. Placements were up 2 percent from the comparable week in 1996. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through October 4, 1997 were 5.53 billion, 3 percent above the 5.37 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on October 15, 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 :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 30 : Sep 6 : Sep 13 : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 26,021 26,009 *23,438 26,020 24,018 25,969 AR : 29,263 29,602 28,419 28,791 27,998 28,798 DE : 4,422 4,228 3,953 4,102 4,162 4,298 FL : 2,578 2,575 2,513 2,487 2,362 2,508 GA : 30,476 30,539 *28,323 28,506 29,033 30,216 MD : 8,639 8,140 *7,574 *8,144 8,203 8,240 MS : 16,817 17,060 *17,086 16,617 17,253 16,714 NC : 16,483 16,404 *16,381 15,137 16,283 15,725 PA : 3,760 3,657 3,562 3,502 3,796 3,638 SC : 4,437 4,313 4,391 4,381 4,197 4,493 TX : 12,368 12,409 12,254 12,019 11,445 12,153 VA : 6,594 6,644 6,111 6,251 6,468 6,672 CA, TN, & WV : 9,687 9,681 9,150 8,548 9,079 9,999 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 171,545 171,261 *163,155 *164,505 164,297 169,423 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 166,215 164,117 159,223 155,539 157,399 163,679 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 104 102 106 104 104 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 30 : Sep 6 : Sep 13 : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,559 18,601 18,610 18,438 18,121 17,071 AR : 23,129 23,577 23,642 24,357 23,996 22,432 DE : 5,538 5,755 4,870 4,692 4,900 5,000 FL : 2,773 2,709 2,639 2,711 *2,569 2,713 GA : 23,919 23,413 *24,221 24,125 24,496 22,568 MD : 5,914 5,566 5,910 6,243 5,650 4,934 MS : 13,690 14,548 14,174 13,881 14,354 13,982 NC : 13,081 12,963 13,209 12,993 12,709 12,449 PA : 2,684 2,725 2,777 2,737 2,925 2,740 SC : 4,065 3,910 3,736 3,210 3,619 3,635 TX : 9,148 9,109 8,953 9,226 9,506 9,329 VA : 5,266 5,382 5,539 5,410 *5,228 4,815 CA, TN, & WV : 9,300 9,598 9,683 9,465 *8,607 8,283 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 137,066 137,856 *137,963 137,488 *136,680 129,951 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 134,556 133,735 134,956 134,728 132,526 126,824 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 102 103 102 102 103 102 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised