Pou 2-2 (8-98) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultur al Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released August 12, 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 174 million eggs during the week ending August 8, 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 80 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Down 2 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 138 million chicks for meat production during the week ending August 8, 1998. Placements were down 2 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through August 8, 1998 were 4.34 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on August 19, 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. Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Jul 4 : Jul 11 : Jul 18 : Jul 25 : Aug 1 : Aug 8 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,205 26,110 26,094 25,857 25,849 25,591 AR : 28,955 27,744 *28,770 28,375 28,225 28,522 DE : 4,439 4,500 4,432 4,554 4,460 4,299 FL : 2,517 2,450 2,550 2,480 2,474 2,592 GA : 30,824 30,664 31,283 31,059 *31,049 30,886 MD : 8,056 8,574 8,538 8,720 8,826 8,837 MS : 17,807 17,956 17,807 17,872 17,776 17,720 NC : 16,314 *17,555 17,460 17,738 17,535 17,378 PA : 3,636 3,819 *3,626 *3,681 *3,666 3,552 SC : 4,468 4,216 4,272 4,378 4,277 4,354 TX : 12,380 13,142 13,281 12,858 *12,792 12,730 VA : 6,615 6,642 6,635 6,648 6,637 6,606 CA, TN, & WV : 10,503 11,000 10,876 10,734 *10,208 11,147 : 15 State Total: 171,719 *174,372 *175,624 *174,954 *173,774 174,214 : Previous Year : 171,374 172,616 174,221 172,509 171,930 172,474 : Pct. of Prev. : 100 101 101 101 101 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Jul 4 : Jul 11 : Jul 18 : Jul 25 : Aug 1 : Aug 8 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 19,294 19,085 18,144 17,692 19,115 18,571 AR : 23,708 23,066 22,469 23,013 22,122 22,043 DE : 5,532 5,176 5,743 5,795 *5,409 4,633 FL : 2,428 2,381 2,274 2,665 2,523 2,451 GA : 24,394 24,443 *24,886 24,376 *24,033 25,051 MD : 6,243 6,217 *5,931 4,783 *5,679 6,180 MS : 14,871 14,630 14,400 14,243 14,319 14,412 NC : 13,657 13,530 13,561 12,739 13,716 13,561 PA : 2,761 2,883 *2,831 *2,578 *2,745 2,566 SC : 4,721 3,703 4,260 3,269 3,659 3,496 TX : 9,774 10,037 9,924 9,224 *9,985 9,889 VA : 5,585 5,614 5,364 5,319 *5,329 5,620 CA, TN, & WV : 10,242 10,216 10,061 9,896 *9,098 9,517 : 15 State Total: 143,210 140,981 *139,848 *135,592 *137,732 137,990 : Previous Year : 140,860 140,991 135,981 138,060 138,459 140,210 : Pct. of Prev. : 102 100 103 98 99 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.