Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 17, 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 1 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 172 million eggs during the week ending December 13, 1997. This was up 1 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 13, 1997. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1996. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through December 13, 1997 were 6.85 billion, 3 percent above the 6.65 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * NOTE: The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 1 p.m. ET on December 24, 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 8 : Nov 15 : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,115 25,609 25,791 25,840 25,464 25,457 AR : 28,928 *29,187 29,306 29,888 *29,753 29,256 DE : 4,449 4,271 4,536 4,542 *4,429 4,141 FL : 2,939 2,917 2,930 2,992 2,915 2,404 GA : *27,852 28,770 29,451 29,936 *29,754 30,361 MD : 8,646 8,299 8,749 8,785 8,587 8,661 MS : 16,891 17,499 16,584 17,490 17,233 17,145 NC : 17,158 *16,696 *16,795 *17,156 *16,455 16,796 PA : 3,575 3,494 3,685 3,502 3,583 4,381 SC : 4,365 4,391 4,405 4,365 4,310 4,356 TX : 12,454 12,485 *12,395 12,313 12,327 12,316 VA : 6,617 6,523 *6,492 6,427 6,259 6,383 CA, TN, & WV : 10,323 11,100 10,664 11,029 10,632 10,092 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total :*169,312 *171,241 *171,783 *174,265 *171,701 171,749 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 166,637 166,941 168,089 169,854 168,466 169,406 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 102 103 102 103 102 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 8 : Nov 15 : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 17,070 15,899 17,041 18,673 18,788 18,424 AR : 21,344 20,861 23,177 23,658 *23,198 22,952 DE : 4,868 5,019 4,864 5,084 *4,856 4,510 FL : 2,757 2,701 2,115 2,371 2,798 2,249 GA : *21,541 21,567 22,986 22,577 *23,133 23,909 MD : 4,754 5,042 5,640 5,604 *5,776 6,534 MS : 14,184 13,619 13,366 13,980 14,578 13,936 NC : 11,676 12,568 12,610 *13,558 *13,029 13,167 PA : 2,512 2,582 2,761 2,725 2,705 2,770 SC : 3,949 3,672 3,129 3,531 *3,580 3,210 TX : 8,634 8,403 8,818 9,494 9,592 9,629 VA : 4,812 4,593 4,548 5,648 *5,035 5,436 CA, TN, & WV : 8,135 8,978 8,981 8,818 9,253 9,539 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total :*126,236 125,504 130,036 *135,721 *136,321 136,265 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1996 Total : 124,488 120,536 127,422 134,832 134,774 134,570 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 101 104 102 101 101 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised