Pou 2-2 (3-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 12, 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 206 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 8, 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 5 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 164 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 8, 2003. Placements were down 5 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through March 8, 2003 were 1.65 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 19, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 1 : Feb 8 : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 27,654 27,284 *28,430 27,533 27,458 27,920 AR : 30,468 30,994 *30,194 30,762 30,603 30,133 DE : 3,607 3,489 3,348 3,295 3,489 3,411 FL : 1,587 1,609 1,605 1,598 1,500 1,493 GA : 31,169 30,909 *31,084 31,321 31,708 31,652 KY : 6,562 6,692 6,121 6,188 6,277 6,515 MD : 9,935 9,897 8,694 9,351 *9,371 10,110 MS : 18,885 18,501 *18,852 18,447 18,884 19,097 NC : 18,017 18,151 *18,294 18,754 19,091 18,634 OK : 6,695 6,432 *6,378 6,632 6,373 6,465 PA : 3,631 3,447 3,434 *3,136 *3,425 3,403 SC : 4,946 4,820 4,842 4,823 4,857 4,816 TX : *14,726 *14,414 *14,780 *14,801 *14,810 14,750 VA : 6,515 6,520 6,491 6,562 6,720 6,711 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: *19,508 *19,613 *18,676 *20,275 *20,606 20,480 : 19 State Total :*203,905 *202,772 *201,223 *203,478 *205,172 205,590 : Previous Year Total : 208,754 208,199 210,479 211,110 210,211 209,711 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 98 97 96 96 98 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 1 : Feb 8 : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,231 21,390 20,696 21,200 20,287 21,816 AR : 23,524 25,475 23,806 24,509 24,680 25,491 DE : 5,018 4,698 5,539 5,114 *5,171 4,666 FL : 1,754 1,393 1,739 *1,491 1,752 1,806 GA : 25,094 25,425 *25,761 25,415 *25,663 24,387 KY : 5,566 5,315 5,366 5,491 5,503 5,096 MD : 6,274 6,265 5,601 5,732 *5,692 5,233 MS : 15,968 15,479 15,967 *15,757 *15,534 15,579 NC : 14,262 14,439 14,217 14,011 *14,332 14,199 OK : 5,624 4,259 *4,415 4,091 4,840 3,634 PA : 2,523 2,482 2,551 *2,523 *2,442 2,505 SC : 4,209 3,607 3,534 3,708 *3,134 4,812 TX : 12,276 *11,902 *12,337 *11,869 *11,657 11,952 VA : 5,287 5,617 5,612 5,286 5,847 5,854 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: *17,810 *17,141 *18,703 *18,209 *16,980 16,708 : 19 State Total :*166,420 *164,887 *165,844 *164,406 *163,514 163,738 : Previous Year Total : 164,318 165,373 167,095 170,461 169,215 171,686 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 101 100 99 96 97 95 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised