Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 11, 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 175 million eggs during the week ending March 7, 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 140 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 7, 1998. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through March 7, 1998 were 1.23 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on March 18, 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 31 : Feb 7 : Feb 14 : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,338 25,377 25,351 25,808 26,014 25,588 AR : 29,093 29,221 29,727 29,584 29,534 29,346 DE : 4,502 4,502 4,581 4,638 4,643 4,694 FL : 2,672 2,699 2,844 2,800 2,862 2,845 GA : 29,169 29,195 29,823 29,608 29,948 30,150 MD : 8,361 8,000 8,501 8,614 8,905 8,587 MS : 16,973 17,379 17,581 17,799 17,783 17,727 NC : 16,648 16,969 *17,831 17,734 17,677 17,984 PA : 3,530 3,575 3,727 3,715 *3,641 3,669 SC : 4,155 4,197 4,260 *4,379 4,301 4,224 TX : 12,068 12,426 12,369 12,523 13,140 13,052 VA : 6,069 6,542 6,610 6,630 6,658 6,639 CA, TN, & WV : 10,128 10,326 11,170 10,442 10,660 10,940 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 168,706 170,408 *174,375 *174,274 *175,766 175,445 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 170,898 172,851 173,704 173,366 173,860 173,061 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 99 99 100 101 101 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 31 : Feb 7 : Feb 14 : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 18,195 17,740 18,399 17,897 17,889 18,278 AR : 23,060 23,492 23,652 22,944 24,875 24,045 DE : 5,838 4,718 4,464 5,229 5,257 4,927 FL : 2,779 2,907 2,551 2,614 2,786 2,805 GA : 24,081 *24,062 *24,039 23,412 *23,098 23,994 MD : 5,106 6,188 6,394 *5,535 *5,390 6,571 MS : 14,189 14,722 14,331 14,134 14,483 14,594 NC : 13,392 13,656 12,605 12,790 13,031 13,678 PA : 2,677 2,687 2,574 2,648 *2,673 2,784 SC : 3,161 2,974 3,519 *3,915 4,015 3,958 TX : 9,630 *9,573 *9,618 *9,458 *9,694 9,578 VA : 5,353 5,166 5,199 4,762 5,255 5,154 CA, TN, & WV : 9,562 9,811 9,258 9,509 9,164 9,706 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 137,023 *137,696 *136,603 *134,847 *137,610 140,072 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 136,782 133,727 136,118 136,402 139,848 138,729 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 100 103 100 99 98 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised