Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 17, 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 183 million eggs during the week ending March 13, 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 82 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Up 6 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 148 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 13, 1999. Placements were up 6 percent from the comparable week in 1998. Cumulative placements from January 3, 1999 through March 13, 1999 were 1.43 billion, 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 24, 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. Broiler Eggs Set in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 6 : Feb 13 : Feb 20 : Feb 27 : Mar 6 : Mar 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 27,124 26,915 26,270 26,616 27,425 27,403 AR : 29,727 30,504 30,600 30,703 30,692 30,587 DE : 4,533 4,576 4,687 4,802 4,722 4,783 FL : 2,934 2,981 2,947 2,920 3,025 3,023 GA : 31,169 31,793 *31,886 31,458 *32,000 31,620 MD : 8,626 *8,936 8,865 8,998 8,999 8,905 MS : 18,026 18,083 *17,899 17,666 18,267 18,283 NC : 17,652 17,715 17,894 17,847 18,420 18,151 PA : 3,629 3,591 3,857 3,913 *3,797 3,706 SC : 4,955 4,650 4,708 4,619 4,787 4,858 TX : 13,163 13,308 13,478 13,480 13,486 13,508 VA : 6,653 6,663 6,659 6,673 6,849 6,610 CA, TN, & WV : 10,202 10,827 *11,767 *11,545 *11,277 11,804 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1999 TOTAL : 178,393 *180,542 *181,517 *181,240 *183,746 183,241 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 TOTAL : 170,408 174,355 174,508 176,161 175,704 175,385 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 105 104 104 103 105 104 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Broiler Chicks Placed in 15 Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :--------------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 6 : Feb 13 : Feb 20 : Feb 27 : Mar 6 : Mar 13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 : AL : 19,188 19,125 20,130 19,427 20,199 21,192 AR : 22,745 24,369 24,676 23,715 *24,205 25,283 DE : 4,496 5,555 5,092 4,881 5,517 5,259 FL : 2,413 2,215 2,338 2,460 2,604 2,466 GA : 24,472 24,344 24,726 25,284 *24,804 25,378 MD : 6,473 4,987 5,903 5,890 5,848 5,987 MS : 14,856 14,090 14,668 15,150 15,111 15,186 NC : 13,243 13,558 13,616 13,830 *13,890 13,905 PA : 2,828 2,698 2,594 2,589 *2,614 2,817 SC : 4,148 3,207 3,856 3,736 4,177 4,300 TX : 10,066 10,128 10,032 10,241 10,383 10,384 VA : 5,245 5,205 5,092 5,879 5,369 5,614 CA, TN, & WV : 9,484 10,150 9,036 *9,502 *9,239 9,989 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1999 TOTAL : 139,657 139,631 141,759 *142,584 *143,960 147,760 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1998 TOTAL : 137,696 136,804 134,827 137,647 140,209 139,125 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- % of Prev Yr : 101 102 105 104 103 106 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised