Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released May 13, 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 1 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 177 million eggs during the week ending May 9, 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 Slightly Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 141 million chicks for meat production during the week ending May 9, 1998. Placements were up slightly from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through May 9, 1998 were 2.51 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on May 20, 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 (5-98) Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Apr 4 : Apr 11 : Apr 18 : Apr 25 : May 2 : May 9 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 26,416 26,498 25,995 *26,164 *26,573 26,345 AR : 29,766 30,013 28,772 29,228 29,498 29,953 DE : 4,563 4,462 4,402 4,389 4,670 4,459 FL : 2,887 2,853 2,888 2,914 2,869 2,877 GA : 30,359 30,643 30,425 30,934 *30,934 30,871 MD : 8,884 8,779 8,716 8,888 8,835 8,752 MS : 17,843 18,001 17,654 17,745 17,552 17,768 NC : 17,643 17,773 *17,781 17,600 17,313 17,265 PA : 3,564 3,608 3,783 *3,798 3,685 3,632 SC : 4,302 4,286 4,399 4,379 4,393 4,313 TX : 12,320 12,301 12,444 12,580 *12,493 12,482 VA : 6,602 6,649 6,659 6,772 6,773 6,659 CA, TN, & WV : *11,091 11,024 10,807 10,878 11,233 11,157 : 15 State Total: *176,240 176,890 *174,725 *176,269 *176,821 176,533 : Previous Year : 174,509 174,847 174,755 174,256 172,865 174,951 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 101 100 101 102 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Apr 4 : Apr 11 : Apr 18 : Apr 25 : May 2 : May 9 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,540 18,319 18,782 *18,837 *19,464 18,995 AR : 23,754 23,226 23,431 24,281 24,666 23,410 DE : 5,896 4,602 5,381 5,613 5,417 5,226 FL : 2,448 2,848 2,619 2,682 *2,692 3,079 GA : 24,702 24,451 24,472 24,585 *24,716 23,475 MD : 5,628 6,374 5,940 5,818 6,037 6,183 MS : 15,020 15,534 14,723 15,062 15,191 14,319 NC : 14,350 13,779 13,966 13,365 13,658 13,633 PA : 2,853 2,642 2,794 *2,753 2,772 2,888 SC : 3,039 3,281 3,441 3,892 3,874 4,778 TX : 9,720 9,282 9,299 9,520 *9,509 9,471 VA : 5,288 5,602 5,357 5,605 5,215 5,437 CA, TN, & WV : 9,777 10,217 9,798 10,183 9,951 9,791 : 15 State Total: 141,015 140,157 140,003 *142,196 *143,162 140,685 : Previous Year : 140,989 140,129 137,516 140,313 141,102 140,325 : Pct. of Prev. : 100 100 102 101 101 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.