Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 28, 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 170 million eggs during the week ending January 24, 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 24, 1998. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through January 24, 1998 were 410 million, slightly below the 411 million placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on February 4, 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 20 : Dec 27 : Jan 3 : Jan 10 : Jan 17 : Jan 24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 24,976 25,452 *24,960 25,264 24,932 25,041 AR : 29,561 29,605 29,091 29,535 28,965 29,138 DE : 4,623 4,339 4,461 4,278 4,336 4,289 FL : 2,558 2,743 2,766 2,790 2,841 2,818 GA : 30,037 30,314 30,262 *30,254 *29,726 29,655 MD : 8,688 8,014 8,522 8,683 *8,578 8,678 MS : 17,385 17,358 17,315 16,844 17,724 17,229 NC : 17,078 16,182 *16,991 17,258 17,460 16,572 PA : 3,574 3,679 3,504 *3,480 *3,738 3,567 SC : 4,353 4,244 4,215 4,185 4,208 4,197 TX : 12,247 12,412 *12,404 12,386 12,384 12,358 VA : 6,405 6,403 6,401 6,529 *6,397 6,512 CA, TN, & WV : 9,924 9,882 10,881 10,715 10,695 10,162 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 171,409 170,627 *171,773 *172,201 *171,984 170,216 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 170,115 171,220 170,719 168,924 166,957 168,895 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 101 100 101 102 103 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending 1/ State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : Jan 3 : Jan 10 : Jan 17 : Jan 24 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,386 18,047 18,109 17,889 18,282 18,417 AR : 25,501 24,700 23,804 23,139 *23,402 24,162 DE : 5,572 5,938 4,960 5,499 *5,407 5,218 FL : 2,746 2,863 2,297 2,452 2,624 2,424 GA : 24,046 23,057 23,881 *23,807 *24,460 24,717 MD : 5,557 5,310 6,184 6,021 *5,332 5,847 MS : 14,793 14,195 14,111 14,669 14,670 14,345 NC : 13,800 12,200 12,856 13,132 *12,368 12,971 PA : 2,708 2,677 2,699 *2,713 *2,641 2,714 SC : 3,489 4,156 4,760 3,905 3,840 3,262 TX : 9,610 9,670 9,600 9,526 9,495 9,639 VA : 5,508 4,997 5,142 4,834 *4,879 5,399 CA, TN, & WV : 10,314 9,648 9,728 8,686 *8,551 8,920 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 142,030 137,458 138,131 *136,272 *135,951 138,035 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 136,536 135,177 136,105 136,694 137,560 137,072 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 104 102 101 100 99 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. 1/Previous year except January.