Pou 2-2 (3-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 5, 2003, 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 2 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 205 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 1, 2003. This was down 2 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 3 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 164 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 1, 2003. Placements were down 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through March 1, 2003 were 1.48 billion, down 2 percent from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on March 12, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 25 : Feb 1 : Feb 8 : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 27,453 27,654 *27,284 27,311 27,533 27,458 AR : 31,087 30,468 30,994 30,350 30,762 30,603 DE : 3,418 3,607 3,489 3,348 3,295 3,489 FL : 1,581 1,587 1,609 1,605 1,598 1,500 GA : 31,410 31,169 *30,909 30,817 *31,321 31,708 KY : 6,384 6,562 *6,692 6,121 6,188 6,277 MD : 9,883 9,935 9,897 8,694 9,351 9,370 MS : 19,241 18,885 18,501 18,912 18,447 18,884 NC : 18,099 18,017 *18,151 18,492 18,754 19,091 OK : 6,435 6,695 6,432 6,395 6,632 6,373 PA : 3,509 3,631 3,447 *3,434 *3,137 3,494 SC : 4,823 4,946 4,820 4,842 4,823 4,857 TX : 14,809 14,729 14,417 14,786 14,807 14,816 VA : 6,629 6,515 6,520 6,491 6,562 6,720 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: 19,946 *19,590 19,682 18,671 20,143 20,565 : 19 State Total : 204,707 *203,990 *202,844 *200,269 *203,353 205,205 : Previous Year Total : 206,876 208,754 208,199 210,479 211,110 210,211 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 98 97 95 96 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 25 : Feb 1 : Feb 8 : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,492 21,231 21,390 20,696 21,200 20,287 AR : 23,950 23,524 25,475 23,806 *24,509 24,680 DE : 4,775 5,018 4,698 5,539 5,114 5,044 FL : 1,689 1,754 1,393 1,739 1,740 1,752 GA : 24,928 25,094 25,425 *25,844 *25,415 25,701 KY : 5,254 5,566 5,315 5,366 5,491 5,503 MD : 6,493 6,274 6,265 5,601 5,732 5,823 MS : 15,937 15,968 15,479 15,967 15,727 15,500 NC : 14,290 14,262 14,439 14,217 *14,011 13,987 OK : 4,289 5,624 4,259 4,509 *4,091 4,840 PA : 2,510 2,523 2,482 *2,551 *2,544 2,461 SC : 4,100 4,209 3,607 3,534 3,708 3,428 TX : 12,193 12,276 11,905 12,340 11,872 11,660 VA : 5,007 5,287 5,617 5,612 5,286 5,847 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: 19,138 17,864 17,206 18,758 *18,429 17,836 : 19 State Total : 166,045 166,474 164,955 *166,079 *164,869 164,349 : Previous Year Total : 167,400 164,318 165,373 167,095 170,461 169,215 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 101 100 99 97 97 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised