Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released November 4, 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 6 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 172 million eggs during the week ending October 31, 1998. This was up 6 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 135 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 31, 1998. Placements were up 2 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through October 31, 1998 were 5.97 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 12, 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 (11-98) Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 26 : Oct 3 : Oct 10 : Oct 17 : Oct 24 : Oct 31 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,561 25,471 23,968 24,355 *24,560 25,383 AR : 27,963 29,312 28,662 28,113 27,796 28,319 DE : 4,344 4,378 4,095 4,098 4,068 4,610 FL : 2,792 2,736 2,510 2,461 2,826 2,749 GA : 29,566 31,368 31,151 30,243 *28,924 30,633 MD : 8,714 8,587 8,725 7,697 7,806 8,442 MS : 16,360 16,831 17,624 16,423 15,907 18,035 NC : 15,702 16,081 *15,992 15,659 15,663 17,084 PA : 3,788 3,556 3,607 3,274 *3,200 3,660 SC : 4,444 4,585 4,498 4,548 4,276 4,553 TX : 11,988 13,278 *12,850 12,737 11,932 11,744 VA : 6,012 6,588 6,104 6,172 6,039 6,518 CA, TN, & WV : 10,196 10,455 *10,288 11,389 10,517 10,618 : 15 State Total: 167,430 173,226 *170,074 167,169 *163,514 172,348 : Previous Year : 162,951 170,663 165,123 158,883 157,305 162,661 : Pct. of Prev. : 103 102 103 105 104 106 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 26 : Oct 3 : Oct 10 : Oct 17 : Oct 24 : Oct 31 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 19,480 18,058 18,729 18,247 *17,828 17,125 AR : 22,558 21,391 22,704 21,943 23,382 23,193 DE : 5,546 5,756 4,535 4,517 4,980 4,633 FL : 2,036 1,918 2,307 2,629 2,574 2,173 GA : 24,685 23,971 23,612 *23,464 *24,569 24,388 MD : 5,227 4,834 5,361 6,334 *6,110 6,070 MS : 14,728 14,114 13,191 13,530 13,898 14,421 NC : 12,557 12,557 11,901 12,162 12,733 12,433 PA : 2,692 2,438 2,346 2,576 *2,629 2,539 SC : 3,033 3,670 3,798 3,051 *3,871 3,773 TX : 9,652 *9,681 *9,332 9,344 10,217 9,841 VA : 5,009 4,883 4,914 4,608 5,042 4,781 CA, TN, & WV : 8,726 8,496 7,997 8,872 9,567 9,296 : 15 State Total: 135,929 *131,767 *130,727 *131,277 *137,400 134,666 : Previous Year : 136,917 129,607 131,158 130,236 139,492 132,375 : Pct. of Prev. : 99 102 100 101 99 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.