Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 24, 1999, 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 4 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 181 million eggs during the week ending February 20, 1999. This was up 4 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 5 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 142 million chicks for meat production during the week ending February 20, 1999. Placements were up 5 percent from the comparable week in 1998. Cumulative placements from January 3, 1999 through February 20, 1999 were 991 million, up 4 percent from the same period a year ago. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on March 3, 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 (2-99) Broiler Eggs Set, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 16 : Jan 23 : Jan 30 : Feb 6 : Feb 13 : Feb 20 : 1999 : 1999 : 1999 : 1999 : 1999 : 1999 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 26,736 26,770 26,803 26,864 26,857 26,270 AR : 29,160 29,374 29,800 29,629 *30,398 30,630 DE : 4,028 3,963 4,250 4,533 4,576 4,687 FL : 2,566 2,466 *2,778 2,807 2,981 2,947 GA : 31,514 31,136 30,834 30,992 *31,617 31,672 MD : 8,833 8,652 8,414 8,626 8,817 8,865 MS : 18,099 17,530 17,834 18,026 18,012 17,990 NC : 17,506 17,326 17,775 17,650 17,715 17,894 PA : 3,808 3,628 3,421 3,629 *3,553 3,827 SC : 4,495 4,372 4,576 4,955 4,478 4,708 TX : 13,088 13,102 *12,927 13,160 13,313 13,483 VA : 6,603 6,442 6,585 6,653 6,663 6,659 CA, TN, & WV : 10,949 10,856 10,678 *10,202 *10,826 11,791 : 15 State Total: 177,385 175,617 *176,675 *177,726 *179,806 181,423 : Previous Year : 172,022 170,241 168,706 170,408 174,355 174,508 : Pct. of Prev. : 103 103 105 104 103 104 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 16 : Jan 23 : Jan 30 : Feb 6 : Feb 13 : Feb 20 : 1999 : 1999 : 1999 : 1999 : 1999 : 1999 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 20,435 19,251 19,909 19,188 *19,125 20,130 AR : 23,146 25,140 23,509 22,618 *24,293 24,589 DE : 4,592 5,646 4,694 4,496 5,561 5,092 FL : 2,481 2,598 2,504 2,413 2,215 2,338 GA : 25,193 25,698 24,818 24,472 *24,361 24,732 MD : 6,493 5,341 6,029 6,473 4,972 5,903 MS : 15,261 15,088 14,779 14,856 14,090 14,668 NC : 13,748 13,334 13,347 13,243 13,558 13,616 PA : 2,649 2,764 2,821 2,828 *2,710 2,539 SC : 3,634 3,597 3,886 4,148 3,207 3,856 TX : 10,359 10,053 9,960 10,063 10,126 10,030 VA : 5,145 5,465 5,449 5,245 5,205 5,092 CA, TN, & WV : 8,817 8,913 9,383 9,484 *10,148 9,034 : 15 State Total: 141,953 142,888 141,088 139,527 *139,571 141,619 : Previous Year : 136,027 138,486 137,023 137,696 136,804 134,827 : Pct. of Prev. : 104 103 103 101 102 105 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.