Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 21, 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 5 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 167 million eggs during the week ending October 17, 1998. This was up 5 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 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 131 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 17, 1998. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through October 17, 1998 were 5.70 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 28, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 12 : Sep 19 : Sep 26 : Oct 3 : Oct 10 : Oct 17 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 23,711 25,634 25,561 25,471 23,968 24,355 AR : 28,119 28,468 27,763 29,221 28,662 28,113 DE : 4,009 3,837 4,344 4,378 *4,095 4,098 FL : 2,502 2,546 2,792 2,736 2,510 2,461 GA : 30,196 30,386 29,566 *31,368 *31,151 30,266 MD : 8,624 8,515 8,714 8,587 *8,725 7,697 MS : 17,634 16,055 16,360 16,744 17,624 16,423 NC : 15,817 15,215 15,702 15,853 15,988 15,659 PA : 3,479 3,491 3,788 3,556 *3,607 3,247 SC : 4,409 4,470 4,444 4,585 4,498 4,548 TX : 12,547 12,609 11,988 13,278 12,776 12,737 VA : 6,248 5,989 6,012 6,588 *6,104 6,369 CA, TN, & WV : 10,205 9,116 10,196 10,455 *10,725 11,387 : 15 State Total: 167,500 166,331 167,230 *172,820 *170,433 167,360 : Previous Year : 162,806 164,036 162,951 170,663 165,123 158,883 : Pct. of Prev. : 103 101 103 101 103 105 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 12 : Sep 19 : Sep 26 : Oct 3 : Oct 10 : Oct 17 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,504 18,443 *19,480 18,058 18,729 18,247 AR : 22,848 22,447 22,558 21,391 22,704 21,943 DE : 5,082 5,194 5,546 5,756 *4,535 4,517 FL : 2,352 2,588 2,036 1,918 2,307 2,629 GA : *24,926 *24,797 *24,685 *23,971 *23,612 23,363 MD : 5,997 6,326 5,227 4,834 *5,361 6,334 MS : 14,244 14,537 14,728 14,114 13,191 13,530 NC : 13,489 13,051 12,557 12,557 11,621 12,162 PA : 2,613 2,724 2,692 2,438 *2,346 2,640 SC : 4,169 3,271 3,163 3,815 3,899 3,193 TX : 9,924 9,882 9,652 9,682 9,340 9,344 VA : 5,395 5,285 5,009 4,883 *4,914 4,623 CA, TN, & WV : 9,803 9,677 8,726 8,496 *7,997 8,872 : 15 State Total: *139,346 *138,222 *136,059 *131,913 *130,556 131,397 : Previous Year : 137,890 137,962 136,917 129,607 131,158 130,236 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 100 99 102 100 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.