Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 30, 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 181 million eggs during the week ending December 26, 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 139 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 26, 1998. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week in 1997. Cumulative placements from January 4, 1998, through December 26, 1998 were 7.07 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 January 6, 1999. 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 21 : Nov 28 : Dec 5 : Dec 12 : Dec 19 : Dec 26 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 27,467 27,323 *26,952 27,230 *27,422 26,983 AR : 30,053 29,687 29,914 30,429 *30,357 29,951 DE : 4,571 4,601 4,002 4,160 4,555 4,421 FL : 2,858 2,873 2,850 2,748 2,860 2,773 GA : *31,758 31,810 31,280 31,868 *31,902 32,259 MD : 8,687 8,903 8,254 8,929 8,252 8,613 MS : 17,765 17,575 17,751 17,892 18,303 18,413 NC : 17,473 17,311 16,599 17,708 17,322 17,519 PA : 3,778 3,664 3,443 3,640 3,897 3,673 SC : 4,794 4,860 4,352 4,845 4,819 4,660 TX : 12,831 13,376 13,419 13,425 13,408 13,514 VA : 6,623 6,609 6,407 6,598 6,579 6,578 CA, TN, & WV : 11,307 11,561 10,146 11,368 *11,507 11,395 : 15 State Total: 179,965 180,153 *175,369 180,840 *181,183 180,752 : Previous Year : 171,807 174,205 171,397 170,812 171,668 170,459 : Pct. of Prev. : 105 103 102 106 106 106 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 21 : Nov 28 : Dec 5 : Dec 12 : Dec 19 : Dec 26 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 19,333 18,824 20,477 19,946 *19,821 19,279 AR : 21,958 22,253 24,008 24,442 *24,346 23,604 DE : 4,780 4,793 5,650 5,022 5,495 4,720 FL : 2,956 2,279 2,249 2,527 2,062 2,705 GA : *23,843 25,504 24,743 24,853 *25,048 25,203 MD : 6,176 6,338 5,051 6,268 5,178 6,198 MS : 14,489 13,800 14,692 14,719 14,582 14,269 NC : 13,462 13,478 12,871 13,405 13,663 12,710 PA : 2,748 2,506 2,755 2,804 2,760 2,530 SC : 3,114 3,326 4,035 3,636 3,612 3,301 TX : 9,107 9,628 10,341 9,893 10,313 10,475 VA : 5,016 4,891 5,461 5,248 6,122 4,971 CA, TN, & WV : 8,638 9,054 9,805 9,347 *10,457 9,045 : 15 State Total: 135,620 136,674 142,138 142,110 *143,459 139,010 : Previous Year : 130,005 135,719 136,952 136,620 142,045 137,523 : Pct. of Prev. : 104 101 104 104 101 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.