Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 9, 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 December 5, 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 4 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 142 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 5, 1998. Placements were up 4 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through December 5, 1998 were 6.65 billion, up 1 percent from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on December 16, 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 (12-98) Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Oct 31 : Nov 7 : Nov 14 : Nov 21 : Nov 28 : Dec 5 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,750 25,378 *27,400 26,941 27,323 25,941 AR : 28,319 28,764 30,068 30,053 29,687 29,914 DE : 4,610 4,167 4,182 4,571 *4,601 4,002 FL : 2,749 2,866 2,861 2,858 2,873 2,850 GA : 30,746 31,156 31,914 31,817 *31,810 31,255 MD : 8,442 8,893 8,621 8,687 8,903 8,254 MS : 17,714 16,984 17,933 17,765 17,575 17,751 NC : 17,257 17,940 17,277 17,668 17,311 16,599 PA : 3,502 3,361 3,854 *3,778 *3,664 3,469 SC : 4,553 4,653 4,790 4,794 4,860 4,352 TX : 11,744 *12,750 *13,452 *12,831 *13,376 13,419 VA : 6,053 6,233 6,660 6,623 6,609 6,407 CA, TN, & WV : 10,618 11,115 11,361 11,307 *11,561 10,124 : 15 State Total: 172,057 *174,260 *180,373 *179,693 *180,153 174,337 : Previous Year : 162,661 169,341 171,956 171,807 174,205 171,397 : Pct. of Prev. : 106 103 105 105 103 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Oct 31 : Nov 7 : Nov 14 : Nov 21 : Nov 28 : Dec 5 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 17,637 17,627 18,219 19,354 18,824 20,659 AR : 23,193 22,292 21,563 21,958 22,253 24,047 DE : 4,633 4,388 4,976 4,780 *4,793 5,650 FL : 2,273 2,085 2,446 2,956 2,279 2,249 GA : 24,417 23,411 22,562 23,873 *25,504 24,780 MD : 6,070 5,525 5,204 *6,176 *6,338 5,051 MS : 14,372 13,215 13,750 14,489 13,800 14,692 NC : 12,433 12,496 12,554 13,462 13,478 12,871 PA : 2,570 2,266 2,380 *2,748 *2,506 2,820 SC : 3,773 5,304 3,752 3,114 3,326 4,035 TX : 9,841 9,457 *8,868 9,107 9,628 10,341 VA : 5,070 4,570 4,683 5,016 4,891 5,461 CA, TN, & WV : 9,234 9,845 8,583 8,638 *9,054 9,634 : 15 State Total: 135,516 132,481 *129,540 *135,671 *136,674 142,290 : Previous Year : 132,375 126,248 125,414 130,005 135,719 136,952 : Pct. of Prev. : 102 105 103 104 101 104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.