Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 21, 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 3 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 172 million eggs during the week ending January 17, 1998. This was up 3 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 Down 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 137 million chicks for meat production during the week ending January 17, 1998. Placements were down 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through January 17, 1998 were 273 million, slightly below the 274 million placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on January 28, 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 1/ State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : Jan 3 : Jan 10 : Jan 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,301 *24,976 *25,452 25,018 *25,264 24,932 AR : 29,256 29,561 29,605 29,091 29,535 28,965 DE : 4,141 4,623 4,339 4,461 4,278 4,336 FL : 2,404 2,558 2,743 2,766 2,790 2,841 GA : 30,247 30,037 30,314 *30,262 *30,202 29,682 MD : 8,709 8,688 8,014 8,522 8,683 8,555 MS : 17,145 17,385 17,358 17,315 16,844 17,724 NC : 16,796 17,078 16,182 16,940 17,258 17,460 PA : 3,681 *3,574 3,679 3,504 3,555 3,712 SC : 4,356 4,353 4,244 4,215 4,185 4,208 TX : 12,323 12,247 12,412 12,411 12,386 12,384 VA : 6,383 6,405 6,403 6,401 6,529 6,450 CA, TN, & WV : 10,071 *9,924 *9,882 10,881 10,715 10,695 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 170,813 *171,409 *170,627 *171,787 *172,224 171,944 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 169,406 170,115 171,220 170,719 168,924 166,957 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 101 101 100 101 102 103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending 1/ State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : Jan 3 : Jan 10 : Jan 17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,424 18,386 18,047 18,109 *17,889 18,282 AR : 23,251 25,501 24,700 23,804 23,139 24,347 DE : 4,510 5,572 5,938 4,960 5,499 5,131 FL : 2,249 2,746 2,863 2,297 2,452 2,624 GA : 23,880 24,046 23,057 *23,881 *23,810 24,360 MD : 6,534 5,557 5,310 6,184 *6,021 5,660 MS : 13,936 14,793 14,195 14,111 14,669 14,670 NC : 13,167 13,800 12,200 12,856 13,132 12,398 PA : 2,770 2,708 2,677 2,699 2,724 2,654 SC : 3,210 3,489 4,156 4,760 3,905 3,840 TX : 9,629 9,610 9,670 9,600 9,526 9,495 VA : 5,436 5,508 4,997 5,142 4,834 4,912 CA, TN, & WV : *9,609 *10,314 9,648 9,728 *8,686 8,491 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total :*136,605 *142,030 137,458 *138,131 *136,286 136,864 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 134,570 136,536 135,177 136,105 136,694 137,560 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 102 104 102 101 100 99 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Previous year except January.