Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 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 2 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 175 million eggs during the week ending March 14, 1998. This was up 2 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 Down 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 139 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 14, 1998. Placements were down 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through March 7, 1998 were 1.37 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 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 :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 7 : Feb 14 : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 7 : Mar 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 25,377 25,351 *25,949 26,014 25,588 25,482 AR : 29,221 29,727 29,584 29,534 *29,663 29,519 DE : 4,502 4,581 4,638 4,643 4,694 4,566 FL : 2,699 2,844 2,800 2,862 2,845 2,698 GA : 29,195 29,823 *29,702 29,948 *29,860 30,250 MD : 8,000 8,501 8,614 8,905 *8,588 8,775 MS : 17,379 17,581 17,799 17,783 17,727 17,828 NC : 16,969 17,831 *17,629 17,677 17,984 17,863 PA : 3,575 3,727 3,715 3,641 *3,733 3,734 SC : 4,197 4,260 4,379 4,301 4,224 4,233 TX : 12,426 12,369 12,523 13,140 13,052 12,811 VA : 6,542 6,610 6,630 6,658 6,639 6,628 CA, TN, & WV : 10,326 11,170 10,442 10,660 10,940 10,694 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 170,408 174,375 *174,404 175,766 *175,537 175,081 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 172,851 173,704 173,366 173,860 173,061 171,546 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 99 100 101 101 101 102 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 7 : Feb 14 : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 7 : Mar 14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 17,740 18,399 17,897 17,889 18,278 19,143 AR : 23,492 23,652 22,944 24,875 *24,297 23,024 DE : 4,718 4,464 5,229 5,257 *4,957 5,695 FL : 2,907 2,551 2,614 2,786 *2,866 2,581 GA : 24,062 24,039 23,412 23,098 *23,849 23,477 MD : 6,188 6,394 5,535 5,390 *6,544 5,789 MS : 14,722 14,331 14,134 14,483 14,594 14,787 NC : 13,656 12,605 12,790 13,031 13,678 13,298 PA : 2,687 2,574 2,648 2,673 *2,671 2,774 SC : 2,974 3,519 3,915 4,015 3,958 4,017 TX : 9,573 9,618 9,458 9,694 9,578 9,742 VA : 5,166 5,199 4,762 5,255 5,154 5,501 CA, TN, & WV : 9,811 9,258 9,509 9,164 9,706 9,122 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 Total : 137,696 136,603 134,847 137,610 *140,130 138,950 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1997 Total : 133,727 136,118 136,402 139,848 138,729 139,880 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 103 100 99 98 101 99 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised