Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 23, 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 182 million eggs during the week ending December 19, 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 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 144 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 19, 1998. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through December 19, 1998 were 6.93 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 30, 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 14 : Nov 21 : Nov 28 : Dec 5 : Dec 12 : Dec 19 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 27,400 27,467 27,323 25,941 *27,230 27,428 AR : 30,068 30,053 29,687 29,914 30,429 30,740 DE : 4,182 4,571 4,601 4,002 *4,160 4,555 FL : 2,861 2,858 2,873 2,850 2,748 2,860 GA : 31,914 31,817 31,810 31,280 31,868 31,968 MD : 8,621 8,687 8,903 8,254 *8,929 8,252 MS : 17,933 17,765 17,575 17,751 *17,892 18,303 NC : 17,277 17,473 17,311 16,599 17,708 17,322 PA : 3,854 3,778 3,664 3,443 *3,640 3,897 SC : 4,790 4,794 4,860 4,352 4,845 4,819 TX : 13,452 12,831 13,376 13,419 13,425 13,408 VA : 6,660 6,623 6,609 6,407 6,598 6,579 CA, TN, & WV : 11,361 11,307 11,561 10,146 *11,368 11,533 : 15 State Total: 180,373 180,024 180,153 174,358 *180,840 181,664 : Previous Year : 171,956 171,807 174,205 171,397 170,812 171,668 : Pct. of Prev. : 105 105 103 102 106 106 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 14 : Nov 21 : Nov 28 : Dec 5 : Dec 12 : Dec 19 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,219 19,333 18,824 *20,477 *19,946 20,224 AR : 21,563 21,958 22,253 24,008 24,442 24,501 DE : 4,976 4,780 4,793 5,650 *5,022 5,495 FL : 2,446 2,956 2,279 2,249 2,527 2,062 GA : 22,562 23,873 25,504 24,743 24,853 25,085 MD : 5,204 6,176 6,338 5,051 *6,268 5,178 MS : 13,750 14,489 13,800 14,692 *14,719 14,582 NC : 12,554 13,462 13,478 12,871 13,405 13,663 PA : 2,380 2,748 2,506 2,755 *2,804 2,760 SC : 3,752 3,114 3,326 4,035 3,636 3,612 TX : 8,868 9,107 9,628 10,341 9,893 10,313 VA : 4,683 5,016 4,891 5,461 5,248 6,122 CA, TN, & WV : 8,583 8,638 9,054 9,805 9,347 10,352 : 15 State Total: 129,540 135,650 136,674 *142,138 *142,110 143,949 : Previous Year : 125,414 130,005 135,719 136,952 136,620 142,045 : Pct. of Prev. : 103 104 101 104 104 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.