Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 28, 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 4 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 164 million eggs during the week ending October 24, 1998. This was up 4 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 Down 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 137 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 24, 1998. Placements were down 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through October 24, 1998 were 5.83 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on November 4, 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 (10-98) Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 19 : Sep 26 : Oct 3 : Oct 10 : Oct 17 : Oct 24 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,634 25,561 25,471 23,968 24,355 24,756 AR : 28,468 *27,963 *29,312 28,662 28,113 27,796 DE : 3,837 4,344 4,378 4,095 4,098 4,068 FL : 2,546 2,792 2,736 2,510 2,461 2,826 GA : 30,386 29,566 31,368 31,151 *30,243 28,933 MD : 8,515 8,714 8,587 8,725 7,697 7,806 MS : 16,055 16,360 *16,831 17,624 16,423 15,907 NC : 15,215 15,702 *16,081 15,988 15,659 15,663 PA : 3,491 3,788 3,556 3,607 *3,274 3,322 SC : 4,470 4,444 4,585 4,498 4,548 4,276 TX : 12,609 11,988 13,278 12,776 12,737 11,932 VA : 5,989 6,012 6,588 6,104 *6,172 6,039 CA, TN, & WV : 9,116 10,196 10,455 10,725 *11,389 10,517 : 15 State Total: 166,331 *167,430 *173,226 170,433 *167,169 163,841 : Previous Year : 164,036 162,951 170,663 165,123 158,883 157,305 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 103 102 103 105 104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 19 : Sep 26 : Oct 3 : Oct 10 : Oct 17 : Oct 24 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,443 19,480 18,058 18,729 18,247 17,836 AR : 22,447 22,558 21,391 22,704 21,943 23,382 DE : 5,194 5,546 5,756 4,535 4,517 4,980 FL : 2,588 2,036 1,918 2,307 2,629 2,574 GA : 24,797 24,685 23,971 23,612 *23,366 24,924 MD : 6,326 5,227 4,834 5,361 6,334 6,108 MS : 14,537 14,728 14,114 13,191 13,530 13,898 NC : 13,051 12,557 12,557 *11,901 12,162 12,733 PA : 2,724 2,692 2,438 2,346 *2,576 2,630 SC : *3,114 *3,033 *3,670 *3,798 *3,051 3,565 TX : 9,882 9,652 9,682 9,340 9,344 10,217 VA : 5,285 5,009 4,883 4,914 *4,608 5,042 CA, TN, & WV : 9,677 8,726 8,496 7,997 8,872 9,567 : 15 State Total: *138,065 *135,929 *131,768 *130,735 *131,179 137,456 : Previous Year : 137,962 136,917 129,607 131,158 130,236 139,492 : Pct. of Prev. : 100 99 102 100 101 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.