Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 7, 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 October 3, 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 81 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Up 2 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 132 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 3, 1998. Placements were up 2 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through October 3, 1998 were 5.43 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on October 14, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 29 : Sep 5 : Sep 12 : Sep 19 : Sep 26 : Oct 3 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,489 25,738 *23,711 25,634 25,561 25,471 AR : 29,126 28,822 28,119 28,468 27,763 29,221 DE : 4,322 4,203 4,009 3,837 4,344 4,378 FL : 2,530 2,373 2,502 2,546 2,792 2,736 GA : 31,242 30,914 30,196 30,386 *29,566 31,373 MD : 8,901 8,668 8,624 8,515 8,714 8,587 MS : 18,119 18,023 17,634 16,055 16,360 17,436 NC : 17,108 16,010 *15,817 *15,691 15,702 15,853 PA : 3,605 3,929 3,479 3,491 *3,778 3,665 SC : 4,324 4,452 4,409 4,470 4,444 4,582 TX : 12,923 12,577 12,547 12,609 13,988 13,278 VA : 6,537 6,237 6,248 5,989 6,012 6,588 CA, TN, & WV : 11,148 10,836 10,208 9,119 10,222 10,421 : 15 State Total: 175,374 172,782 *167,503 *166,810 *169,246 173,589 : Previous Year : 171,838 170,673 162,806 164,036 162,951 170,663 : Pct. of Prev. : 102 101 103 102 104 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 29 : Sep 5 : Sep 12 : Sep 19 : Sep 26 : Oct 3 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,452 18,613 18,504 18,443 19,482 18,058 AR : 22,642 22,514 22,848 22,447 22,558 21,689 DE : 5,249 5,198 5,082 5,194 5,546 5,756 FL : 2,495 2,568 2,352 2,588 2,036 1,918 GA : 24,073 23,898 24,803 24,650 *24,484 23,837 MD : 6,218 6,209 5,997 6,326 5,224 4,834 MS : 14,111 14,175 14,244 14,537 14,728 14,137 NC : 13,186 13,428 13,489 13,051 12,557 12,557 PA : 2,496 2,729 2,613 2,724 *2,683 2,424 SC : 3,842 4,170 4,169 3,271 3,163 3,849 TX : 9,415 9,600 9,924 9,882 9,652 9,682 VA : 5,134 5,274 5,395 5,285 5,009 4,883 CA, TN, & WV : 10,564 9,388 9,802 9,677 8,729 8,190 : 15 State Total: 137,877 137,764 139,222 138,075 *135,851 131,814 : Previous Year : 137,157 137,974 137,890 137,962 136,917 129,607 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 100 101 100 99 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.