Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 1, 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 3 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 173 million eggs during the week ending March 28, 1998. This was up 3 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 142 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 28, 1998. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through March 28, 1998 were 1.66 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 8, 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 (4-98) Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 7 : Mar 14 : Mar 21 : Mar 28 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,949 26,014 *25,715 25,451 26,002 26,080 AR : 29,705 29,806 29,663 29,640 29,147 28,921 DE : 4,638 4,643 4,694 4,566 4,529 4,677 FL : 2,800 2,862 2,845 2,698 2,868 2,838 GA : 29,702 29,948 29,860 30,289 *29,918 30,286 MD : 8,614 8,905 8,588 8,775 8,733 8,878 MS : 17,799 17,783 17,727 17,889 17,952 17,824 NC : 17,629 17,677 17,984 17,863 17,424 17,200 PA : 3,715 *3,797 3,733 3,734 *3,420 3,669 SC : 4,379 4,301 4,224 4,233 4,234 4,224 TX : 12,523 13,140 13,052 12,811 12,400 11,207 VA : 6,630 6,658 6,639 6,573 6,664 6,680 CA, TN, & WV : 10,425 10,627 10,980 10,692 10,920 10,876 : 15 State Total: 174,508 *176,161 *175,704 175,214 *174,211 173,360 : Previous Year : 173,366 173,860 173,061 171,546 171,495 168,883 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 101 102 102 102 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 7 : Mar 14 : Mar 21 : Mar 28 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 17,897 17,889 18,278 19,153 19,139 18,365 AR : 22,944 24,875 24,297 23,158 24,697 23,934 DE : 5,229 5,257 4,957 5,695 5,770 4,965 FL : 2,614 2,786 2,866 2,581 2,751 2,790 GA : 23,412 23,098 23,849 23,474 *24,016 24,219 MD : 5,535 5,390 6,544 5,789 *6,013 6,506 MS : 14,134 14,483 14,594 *14,938 14,976 14,977 NC : 12,790 13,031 13,678 13,298 *13,508 13,576 PA : 2,648 2,673 2,671 2,754 *2,749 2,795 SC : 3,915 4,015 3,958 4,017 4,204 3,626 TX : 9,458 9,694 9,578 9,742 10,156 10,022 VA : 4,762 5,255 5,154 5,449 5,578 5,650 CA, TN, & WV : 9,489 9,161 9,722 9,053 9,242 10,313 : 15 State Total: 134,827 137,607 140,146 *139,101 *142,799 141,738 : Previous Year : 136,402 139,848 138,729 139,880 140,845 140,214 : Pct. of Prev. : 99 98 101 99 101 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.