Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 29, 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 158 million eggs during the week ending October 25, 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 82 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 136 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 25, 1997. Placements were up 5 percent from the comparable week in 1996. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through October 25, 1997 were 5.93 billion, 3 percent above the 5.75 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on November 5, 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 :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : Oct 11 : Oct 18 : Oct 25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 26,020 24,018 *25,600 23,831 23,877 22,717 AR : 28,791 27,998 29,689 29,647 27,834 26,789 DE : 4,102 4,162 4,298 4,229 3,533 4,198 FL : 2,487 2,362 *2,719 *2,796 *2,880 2,542 GA : 28,506 28,068 30,269 28,914 *27,044 27,815 MD : 8,144 *8,072 *8,153 8,138 7,567 7,283 MS : 16,617 17,253 16,714 17,056 16,940 15,826 NC : 14,834 16,083 *15,775 15,942 14,802 15,835 PA : 3,502 3,796 3,448 3,438 3,321 3,198 SC : 4,381 4,197 4,493 4,389 4,130 4,325 TX : 11,596 11,385 *12,108 *11,703 *11,753 11,441 VA : 6,251 6,468 6,672 6,271 6,147 6,391 CA, TN, & WV : 9,073 9,079 9,999 *9,644 9,484 9,697 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 164,304 *162,941 *169,937 *165,998 *159,312 158,057 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 155,539 157,399 163,679 156,227 154,973 150,501 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 106 104 104 106 103 105 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : Oct 11 : Oct 18 : Oct 25 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,438 18,121 17,071 18,553 16,710 18,484 AR : 24,357 23,996 22,729 23,260 23,042 23,474 DE : 4,692 4,900 5,000 4,634 *5,429 5,841 FL : 2,711 2,569 2,713 2,863 2,502 2,461 GA : 24,125 24,496 22,561 22,520 *22,017 23,549 MD : 6,243 5,650 4,934 5,795 *5,042 4,927 MS : 13,881 14,354 13,982 14,104 14,697 14,255 NC : 12,993 12,709 12,357 12,030 12,659 12,711 PA : 2,737 2,802 2,710 2,634 2,780 2,713 SC : 3,210 3,619 3,635 3,202 3,079 4,051 TX : 9,226 9,506 9,331 8,818 8,739 9,162 VA : 5,410 5,228 4,815 4,628 5,001 5,118 CA, TN, & WV : 9,465 8,608 8,283 7,985 8,356 9,343 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 137,488 136,558 130,121 131,026 *130,053 136,089 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 134,728 132,526 126,824 123,682 125,944 130,221 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 102 103 103 106 103 105 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised