Pou 2-2 (12-02) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 27, 2002, 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 19 Selected States Down 4 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 201 million eggs in incubators during the week ending December 21, 2002. This was down 4 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 83 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Down 4 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 164 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 21, 2002. Placements were down 4 percent from the comparable week in 2001. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2001 through December 21, 2002 were 8.49 billion. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on January 2, 2003. 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, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 16 : Nov 23 : Nov 30 : Dec 7 : Dec 14 : Dec 21 : 2002 : 2002 : 2002 : 2002 : 2002 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 27,749 27,667 28,164 27,958 27,883 27,883 AR : 29,457 29,624 29,362 29,336 30,240 30,054 DE : 3,397 3,376 3,600 3,415 3,389 3,399 FL : 2,330 2,320 2,258 1,582 1,592 1,594 GA : 30,628 29,897 *30,424 *30,687 *30,581 29,971 KY : 6,739 6,528 *6,174 6,636 6,741 6,519 MD : 9,238 9,249 9,890 9,933 9,925 9,834 MS : 17,822 18,013 18,691 18,505 18,826 18,627 NC : 17,379 18,455 *18,279 18,207 18,605 18,219 OK : 6,391 6,407 6,320 6,386 6,243 6,363 PA : 3,146 3,709 3,738 3,599 3,643 3,677 SC : 4,709 4,415 4,632 4,526 4,676 4,698 TX : 14,759 15,225 14,941 14,875 15,131 14,756 VA : 6,105 6,224 6,211 5,984 6,230 6,226 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: 19,235 19,419 19,777 19,275 20,179 18,849 : 19 State Total : 199,084 200,528 *202,461 *200,904 *203,884 200,669 : Previous Year Total : 205,712 205,396 211,929 204,465 207,067 208,836 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 97 98 96 98 98 96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 16 : Nov 23 : Nov 30 : Dec 7 : Dec 14 : Dec 21 : 2002 : 2002 : 2002 : 2002 : 2002 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 19,494 19,786 20,386 20,953 21,362 21,620 AR : 20,431 22,968 21,996 23,291 24,762 23,161 DE : 4,245 4,909 4,810 5,392 5,115 5,494 FL : 2,270 2,348 2,467 2,091 1,696 1,720 GA : 21,534 22,866 24,294 *25,182 *24,734 24,601 KY : 4,505 4,887 5,020 5,443 5,378 5,100 MD : 5,965 6,160 6,131 5,221 5,475 5,725 MS : 13,673 13,872 15,265 15,125 15,285 15,907 NC : 13,951 14,230 14,122 13,614 14,344 14,357 OK : 3,895 3,269 5,144 4,525 3,957 4,647 PA : 2,391 2,585 2,588 2,299 2,566 2,558 SC : 3,510 3,684 3,870 3,440 3,225 3,518 TX : 10,040 11,623 12,241 11,711 12,084 11,822 VA : 4,297 4,444 5,288 4,861 5,221 5,253 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: 17,327 17,422 18,253 18,823 17,556 18,428 : 19 State Total : 147,528 155,053 161,875 *161,971 *162,760 163,911 : Previous Year Total : 150,878 158,581 165,267 167,382 166,079 170,266 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 98 98 98 97 98 96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised