Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 4, 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 Down 1 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 169 million eggs during the week ending January 31, 1998. This was down 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 Slightly Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 137 million chicks for meat production during the week ending January 31, 1998. Placements were up slightly from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through January 31, 1998 were 547 million, slightly below the 548 million placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on February 11, 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 27 : Jan 3 : Jan 10 : Jan 17 : Jan 24 : Jan 31 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,452 24,960 *25,364 24,932 25,041 25,338 AR : 29,605 29,091 29,535 28,965 29,138 29,093 DE : 4,339 4,461 4,278 4,336 4,289 4,511 FL : 2,743 2,766 2,790 2,841 2,818 2,629 GA : 30,314 30,262 30,254 29,726 *29,620 29,114 MD : 8,014 8,522 8,683 8,578 8,678 8,345 MS : 17,358 17,315 *17,073 17,724 17,229 16,973 NC : 16,182 16,991 *17,237 17,460 16,572 16,648 PA : 3,679 3,504 3,480 3,738 *3,680 3,640 SC : 4,244 4,215 4,185 4,208 4,197 4,155 TX : 12,412 12,404 12,386 12,384 12,358 12,068 VA : 6,403 6,401 6,529 6,397 *6,552 6,076 CA, TN, & WV : 9,882 *10,880 10,715 10,695 10,162 10,195 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 170,627 *171,772 *172,509 171,984 *170,334 168,785 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 171,220 170,719 168,924 166,957 168,895 170,898 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 100 101 102 103 101 99 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending 1/ State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Dec 27 : Jan 3 : Jan 10 : Jan 17 : Jan 24 : Jan 31 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,047 18,109 17,889 18,282 18,417 18,195 AR : 24,700 23,804 23,139 23,402 24,162 23,060 DE : 5,938 4,960 5,499 5,407 *5,267 5,709 FL : 2,863 2,297 2,452 2,624 *2,482 2,709 GA : 23,057 23,881 23,807 *24,501 *24,793 24,077 MD : 5,310 6,184 6,021 5,332 *5,805 5,403 MS : 14,195 14,111 14,669 14,670 14,345 14,189 NC : 12,200 12,856 13,132 12,368 12,971 13,392 PA : 2,677 *2,688 2,713 *2,631 *2,690 2,687 SC : 4,156 4,760 3,905 3,840 *3,303 3,161 TX : 9,670 9,600 9,526 9,495 9,639 9,629 VA : 4,997 5,142 4,834 4,879 *5,384 5,196 CA, TN, & WV : *9,632 *9,359 8,686 8,551 *8,927 9,581 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total :*137,442 *137,751 136,272 *135,982 *138,185 136,988 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 135,177 136,105 136,694 137,560 137,072 136,782 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 102 101 100 99 101 100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. 1/Previous year except January.