Broiler Hatchery National Agricultur al Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released August 26, 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 175 million eggs during the week ending August 22, 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 Up Slightly Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 137 million chicks for meat production during the week ending August 22, 1998. Placements were up slightly from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through August 22, 1998 were 4.61 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on September 2, 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 18 : Jul 25 : Aug 1 : Aug 8 : Aug 15 : Aug 22 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 26,094 25,857 25,849 25,579 25,624 25,575 AR : 28,770 28,375 28,225 28,522 28,585 28,643 DE : 4,432 4,554 4,460 4,299 *4,251 4,164 FL : 2,550 2,480 2,474 2,592 2,612 2,565 GA : 31,283 31,059 *30,941 30,879 *31,044 31,208 MD : 8,538 8,720 8,826 8,837 8,895 8,866 MS : 17,807 17,872 17,776 17,720 17,450 18,134 NC : 17,460 17,728 17,535 17,299 17,473 17,537 PA : 3,626 3,681 3,666 3,562 *3,748 3,610 SC : 4,272 4,378 4,277 4,354 4,405 4,453 TX : 13,281 12,858 12,792 12,730 12,818 13,038 VA : 6,635 6,648 6,637 6,606 *6,632 6,583 CA, TN, & WV : 10,876 10,734 *10,379 11,175 *11,007 10,631 : 15 State Total: 175,624 174,944 *173,837 174,154 *174,544 175,007 : Previous Year : 174,221 172,509 171,930 172,474 172,543 173,390 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 101 101 101 101 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Jul 18 : Jul 25 : Aug 1 : Aug 8 : Aug 15 : Aug 22 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,144 17,692 19,115 18,600 19,179 19,393 AR : 22,469 23,013 22,122 22,043 23,315 22,394 DE : 5,743 5,795 5,409 4,633 *4,642 4,724 FL : 2,274 2,665 2,479 2,520 2,451 2,302 GA : 24,886 24,376 24,033 25,010 *24,657 23,630 MD : 5,931 4,783 5,679 6,180 *6,540 6,532 MS : 14,400 14,243 14,319 14,412 14,361 14,543 NC : 13,561 12,739 13,716 13,561 13,712 13,487 PA : 2,831 2,578 2,745 2,600 *2,601 2,686 SC : 4,260 3,269 3,659 3,496 3,465 4,180 TX : 9,924 9,224 9,985 9,889 9,645 9,520 VA : 5,364 5,319 5,329 5,620 *5,408 5,218 CA, TN, & WV : 10,061 9,897 9,099 9,518 *9,480 8,748 : 15 State Total: 139,848 135,593 137,689 138,082 *139,456 137,357 : Previous Year : 135,981 138,060 138,459 140,210 137,718 136,937 : Pct. of Prev. : 103 98 99 98 101 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.