Pou 2-2 (3-00) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 8, 2000, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Broiler Hatchery" call Jody Roberts at (202) 690-8632, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Broiler Eggs Set In 15 Selected States Down Slightly Commercial hatcheries in the 15-State weekly program set in incubators 184 million eggs during the week ending March 4, 2000. This was down slightly 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 Down 2 Percent Broiler growers in the 15-State weekly program placed 141 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 4, 2000. Placements were down 2 percent from the comparable week in 1999. Cumulative placements from January 2, 2000, through March 4, 2000, were 1.30 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 March 15, 2000. 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, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 29 : Feb 5 : Feb 12 : Feb 19 : Feb 26 : Mar 4 : 2000 : 2000 : 2000 : 2000 : 2000 : 2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 28,355 28,691 *28,151 26,735 *29,036 28,727 AR : *29,971 29,942 *30,083 *30,248 *30,009 30,063 DE : 4,339 4,321 4,048 4,498 4,545 4,458 FL : 2,734 2,609 2,709 2,696 2,844 2,836 GA : 31,051 31,406 30,745 30,649 31,799 31,837 MD : 8,495 7,773 8,523 8,114 8,586 8,966 MS : 17,819 17,451 *17,624 17,348 17,392 17,693 NC : 16,182 16,490 *17,147 17,358 17,512 18,281 PA : 3,767 3,322 3,421 3,566 *3,389 3,627 SC : 4,745 4,813 4,761 4,943 4,939 4,912 TX : *14,117 *14,112 *13,633 *14,280 *14,440 14,603 VA : 6,314 6,293 6,331 6,544 6,553 6,554 CA, TN, & WV : 11,280 11,310 10,850 11,346 11,518 11,215 : 15 State Total: *179,169 *178,533 *178,026 *178,325 *182,562 183,772 : Previous Year : 176,765 178,393 180,542 181,671 181,421 184,036 : Pct. of Prev. : 101 100 99 98 101 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised. Broiler Chicks Placed, 15 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 29 : Feb 5 : Feb 12 : Feb 19 : Feb 26 : Mar 4 : 2000 : 2000 : 2000 : 2000 : 2000 : 2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 20,737 20,670 21,063 20,470 *21,193 20,572 AR : 23,841 23,588 24,678 23,844 23,384 24,043 DE : 4,412 5,793 5,986 5,128 4,202 4,819 FL : 2,668 2,262 2,354 2,691 2,282 2,232 GA : 25,080 24,482 24,738 25,167 *24,691 24,049 MD : 6,119 4,972 4,940 5,583 6,092 5,694 MS : 14,978 15,234 15,057 15,039 14,596 14,704 NC : 13,702 13,666 13,856 12,376 12,605 13,134 PA : 2,758 2,741 2,729 2,826 *2,724 2,564 SC : 3,631 4,240 3,642 3,631 3,903 3,773 TX : 11,229 *11,188 *11,190 *11,191 *11,144 10,659 VA : 5,684 5,334 5,027 5,353 4,840 4,959 CA, TN, & WV : 10,805 10,156 10,630 10,012 *9,718 9,925 : 15 State Total: 145,644 *144,326 *145,890 *143,311 *141,374 141,127 : Previous Year : 141,088 139,657 139,631 141,723 142,736 144,008 : Pct. of Prev. : 103 103 104 101 99 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised.