HDR1012000150090218981500BROILER HATCHERY Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 18, 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 Slightly Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 174 million eggs during the week ending February 14, 1998. This was up slightly 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 Down Slightly Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 136 million chicks for meat production during the week ending February 14, 1998. Placements were down slightly from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through February 14, 1998 were 821 million, up slightly from the 818 million placed during the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on February 25, 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 :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 10 : Jan 17 : Jan 24 : Jan 31 : Feb 7 : Feb 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,364 24,932 25,041 25,338 25,377 25,351 AR : 29,535 28,965 29,138 29,093 29,431 29,400 DE : 4,278 4,336 4,289 4,502 4,502 4,581 FL : 2,790 2,841 *2,857 2,629 2,678 2,844 GA : 30,254 29,726 29,620 29,169 *29,195 29,766 MD : 8,683 8,578 8,678 8,361 8,000 8,501 MS : 17,073 17,724 17,229 16,973 17,379 17,581 NC : 17,237 *17,293 *16,468 16,648 *16,969 17,746 PA : 3,480 3,738 3,680 3,530 *3,575 3,634 SC : 4,185 4,208 4,197 4,155 4,197 4,260 TX : 12,386 12,409 12,358 12,068 12,426 12,369 VA : 6,529 6,397 6,552 6,069 6,542 6,610 CA, TN, & WV : 10,688 10,875 10,134 10,195 10,326 11,170 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 172,482 *172,022 *170,241 168,730 *170,597 173,813 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 168,924 166,957 168,895 170,898 172,851 173,704 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 102 103 101 99 99 100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 10 : Jan 17 : Jan 24 : Jan 31 : Feb 7 : Feb 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 17,889 18,282 18,417 18,195 *17,740 18,399 AR : 23,139 23,402 24,162 23,060 *23,655 22,455 DE : 5,499 5,407 5,267 5,838 4,718 4,464 FL : 2,452 2,624 2,482 2,779 2,907 2,551 GA : 23,807 24,501 24,793 24,081 *23,971 24,013 MD : 6,021 5,332 5,805 5,106 6,188 6,394 MS : 14,669 14,670 14,345 14,189 14,722 14,331 NC : *13,032 *12,338 *13,075 13,392 *13,656 12,597 PA : 2,713 2,631 2,690 *2,677 *2,687 2,730 SC : 3,905 3,840 3,303 3,161 *2,974 3,519 TX : 9,528 9,498 9,648 9,630 9,561 9,606 VA : 4,834 4,879 5,384 5,353 5,166 5,199 CA, TN, & WV : 8,855 8,623 9,115 9,581 9,811 9,258 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total :*136,343 *136,027 *138,486 *137,042 *137,756 135,516 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 136,694 137,560 137,072 136,782 133,727 136,118 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 100 99 101 100 103 100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised