Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 10, 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 2 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 171 million eggs during the week ending December 6, 1997. This was up 2 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 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 136 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 6, 1997. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1996. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through December 6, 1997 were 6.72 billion, 3 percent above the 6.51 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on December 17, 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 :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 1 : Nov 8 : Nov 15 : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 24,142 25,115 25,609 25,791 25,840 25,464 AR : *28,654 *28,928 *28,828 *29,306 29,888 29,476 DE : 4,488 4,449 4,271 4,536 4,542 4,374 FL : 2,425 2,939 2,917 2,930 2,992 2,915 GA : 27,773 27,770 *28,770 *29,451 *29,936 29,797 MD : 8,352 8,646 *8,299 8,749 8,785 8,587 MS : 16,103 16,891 *17,499 16,584 17,490 17,233 NC : 16,130 17,158 17,170 16,557 17,167 16,050 PA : 3,370 3,575 3,494 3,685 *3,502 3,583 SC : 4,231 4,365 4,391 4,405 4,365 4,310 TX : 11,522 12,454 *12,485 12,334 *12,313 12,327 VA : 6,078 6,617 6,523 6,015 *6,427 6,259 CA, TN, & WV : 10,638 10,323 *11,100 10,664 11,029 10,632 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total :*163,906 *169,230 *171,356 *171,007 *174,276 171,007 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 158,685 166,637 166,941 168,089 169,854 168,466 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 102 103 102 103 102 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 1 : Nov 8 : Nov 15 : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 16,808 17,070 15,899 17,041 18,673 18,788 AR : *22,479 *21,344 *20,861 *23,177 *23,658 22,904 DE : 4,440 4,868 5,019 4,864 5,084 4,794 FL : 2,643 2,757 2,701 2,115 2,371 2,798 GA : 23,219 21,659 *21,567 22,986 *22,577 23,145 MD : 6,381 4,754 5,042 5,640 5,604 5,687 MS : 14,324 14,184 13,619 13,366 13,980 14,578 NC : 12,401 11,676 12,568 12,610 13,522 13,033 PA : 2,605 2,512 2,582 2,761 *2,725 2,705 SC : 4,220 3,949 3,672 3,129 3,531 3,567 TX : *9,304 *8,634 *8,403 *8,818 *9,494 9,592 VA : 4,618 4,812 4,593 4,548 *5,648 5,213 CA, TN, & WV : 8,820 8,135 *8,978 8,981 8,818 9,253 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total :*132,262 *126,354 *125,504 *130,036 *135,685 136,057 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 125,501 124,488 120,536 127,422 134,832 134,774 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 105 101 104 102 101 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised