Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 25, 1998, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Broiler Hatchery" call Tom Kruchten at (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 174 million eggs during the week ending March 21, 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 Up 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 143 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 21, 1998. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through March 21, 1998 were 1.52 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on April 1, 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, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161. Pou 2-2 (3-98) Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 14 : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 7 : Mar 14 : Mar 21 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,351 25,949 26,014 25,588 *25,451 26,002 AR : 29,727 *29,705 *29,806 29,663 *29,640 29,147 DE : 4,581 4,638 4,643 4,694 4,566 4,529 FL : 2,844 2,800 2,862 2,845 2,698 2,868 GA : 29,823 29,702 29,948 29,860 *30,289 29,817 MD : 8,501 8,614 8,905 8,588 8,775 8,733 MS : 17,581 17,799 17,783 17,727 *17,889 17,952 NC : 17,831 17,629 17,677 17,984 17,863 17,424 PA : 3,727 3,715 3,641 3,733 3,734 3,707 SC : 4,260 4,379 4,301 4,224 4,233 4,234 TX : 12,369 12,523 13,140 13,052 12,811 12,400 VA : 6,610 6,630 6,658 6,639 *6,573 6,664 CA, TN, & WV : *11,150 *10,425 *10,627 *10,980 *10,692 10,920 : 15 State Total: *174,355 *174,508 *176,005 *175,577 *175,214 174,397 : Previous Year : 173,704 173,366 173,860 173,061 171,546 171,495 : Pct. of Prev. : 100 101 101 101 102 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 14 : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 7 : Mar 14 : Mar 21 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,399 17,897 17,889 18,278 *19,153 19,139 AR : 23,652 22,944 24,875 24,297 *23,158 24,697 DE : 4,464 5,229 5,257 4,957 5,695 5,770 FL : 2,551 2,614 2,786 2,866 2,581 2,751 GA : 24,039 23,412 23,098 23,849 *23,474 24,026 MD : 6,394 5,535 5,390 6,544 5,789 6,011 MS : 14,331 14,134 14,483 14,594 14,787 14,976 NC : 12,605 12,790 13,031 13,678 13,298 13,311 PA : 2,574 2,648 2,673 2,671 *2,754 2,721 SC : 3,519 3,915 4,015 3,958 4,017 4,204 TX : 9,618 9,458 9,694 9,578 9,742 10,156 VA : 5,199 4,762 5,255 5,154 *5,449 5,578 CA, TN, & WV : *9,459 *9,489 *9,161 *9,722 *9,053 9,242 : 15 State Total: *136,804 *134,827 *137,607 *140,146 *138,950 142,582 : Previous Year : 136,118 136,402 139,848 138,729 139,880 140,845 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 99 98 101 99 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.