Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 7, 1998, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Broiler Hatchery" call Tom Kruchten (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 January 3, 1998. This was up 1 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 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 138 million chicks for meat production during the week ending January 3, 1998. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from December 29, 1996, through January 3, 1998 were 7.27 billion, 3 percent above the 7.06 billion placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on January 14, 1998. 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 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : Jan 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,840 *25,324 *25,301 25,260 25,552 25,018 AR : 29,888 29,753 29,256 29,561 29,605 29,061 DE : 4,542 4,429 4,141 4,623 4,339 4,461 FL : 2,992 2,915 2,404 2,558 2,743 2,766 GA : 29,936 29,527 *30,247 *29,797 *30,314 30,363 MD : 8,785 8,587 8,661 8,688 8,014 8,532 MS : 17,490 17,233 17,145 17,385 17,358 17,315 NC : 17,097 16,420 16,796 17,078 16,182 16,940 PA : 3,502 3,583 3,621 3,481 *3,697 3,604 SC : 4,365 4,310 4,356 4,353 4,244 4,215 TX : 12,313 12,391 *12,323 12,247 12,412 12,411 VA : 6,427 6,259 6,383 6,405 6,403 6,401 CA, TN, & WV : 11,048 10,657 10,071 9,876 9,912 10,848 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 174,225 *171,388 *170,705 *171,312 *170,775 171,935 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 169,854 168,466 169,406 170,115 171,220 170,719 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 102 101 101 100 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : Jan 3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,673 *18,816 18,424 18,386 *18,047 18,109 AR : 23,658 23,794 23,251 25,501 *24,700 23,866 DE : 5,084 4,856 4,510 5,572 *5,938 4,960 FL : *2,277 *2,690 2,249 2,746 2,863 2,297 GA : 22,577 23,232 *23,880 *24,046 *23,057 23,886 MD : 5,604 5,776 6,534 5,557 5,310 6,184 MS : 13,980 14,578 13,936 14,793 *14,195 14,111 NC : 13,558 13,029 13,167 13,800 12,200 12,856 PA : 2,725 2,705 2,770 2,708 *2,677 2,638 SC : 3,531 3,580 3,210 3,489 4,156 4,760 TX : 9,494 9,592 9,629 9,610 9,670 9,600 VA : 5,648 5,035 5,436 5,508 *4,997 5,142 CA, TN, & WV : 8,820 9,253 9,607 10,207 *9,648 9,711 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total :*135,629 *136,936 *136,603 *141,923 *137,458 138,120 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 134,832 134,774 134,570 136,536 135,177 136,105 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 101 102 102 104 102 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised