Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 16, 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 180 million eggs during the week ending December 12, 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 4 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 142 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 12, 1998. Placements were up 4 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through December 12, 1998 were 6.79 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 23, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 7 : Nov 14 : Nov 21 : Nov 28 : Dec 5 : Dec 12 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,378 27,400 *27,467 27,323 25,941 27,233 AR : 28,764 30,068 30,053 29,687 29,914 30,429 DE : 4,167 4,182 4,571 4,601 4,002 4,146 FL : 2,866 2,861 2,858 2,873 2,850 2,748 GA : 31,156 31,914 31,817 31,810 *31,280 31,868 MD : 8,893 8,621 8,687 8,903 8,254 8,809 MS : 16,984 17,933 17,765 17,575 17,751 17,781 NC : 17,940 17,277 *17,473 17,311 16,599 17,708 PA : 3,361 3,854 3,778 3,664 *3,443 3,512 SC : 4,653 4,790 4,794 4,860 4,352 4,845 TX : 12,750 13,452 12,831 13,376 13,419 13,425 VA : 6,233 6,660 6,623 6,609 6,407 6,598 CA, TN, & WV : 11,115 11,361 11,307 11,561 *10,146 11,207 : 15 State Total: 174,260 180,373 *180,024 180,153 *174,358 180,309 : Previous Year : 169,341 171,956 171,807 174,205 171,397 170,812 : Pct. of Prev. : 103 105 105 103 102 106 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 7 : Nov 14 : Nov 21 : Nov 28 : Dec 5 : Dec 12 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 17,627 18,219 *19,333 18,824 *20,483 19,941 AR : 22,292 21,563 21,958 22,253 *24,008 24,442 DE : 4,388 4,976 4,780 4,793 5,650 5,195 FL : 2,085 2,446 2,956 2,279 2,249 2,527 GA : 23,411 22,562 23,873 25,504 *24,743 24,853 MD : 5,525 5,204 6,176 6,338 5,051 6,186 MS : 13,215 13,750 14,489 13,800 14,692 14,709 NC : 12,496 12,554 13,462 13,478 12,871 13,405 PA : 2,266 2,380 2,748 2,506 *2,755 2,723 SC : 5,304 3,752 3,114 3,326 4,035 3,636 TX : 9,457 8,868 9,107 9,628 10,341 9,893 VA : 4,570 4,683 5,016 4,891 5,461 5,248 CA, TN, & WV : 9,845 8,583 8,638 9,054 *9,805 9,347 : 15 State Total: 132,481 129,540 *135,650 136,674 *142,144 142,105 : Previous Year : 126,248 125,414 130,005 135,719 136,952 136,620 : Pct. of Prev. : 105 103 104 101 104 104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.