Pou 2-2 (3-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 19, 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 204 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 15, 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 167 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 15, 2003. Placements were down 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through March 15, 2003 were 1.81 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 26, 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 8 : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 27,284 28,430 *28,185 27,458 27,920 28,229 AR : 30,994 30,194 30,762 30,603 30,133 29,371 DE : 3,489 3,348 3,295 3,489 *3,539 3,765 FL : 1,609 1,605 1,598 *1,627 *1,620 1,532 GA : 30,909 31,084 *31,336 31,708 *31,646 30,759 KY : 6,692 *6,342 *6,266 *6,317 *6,555 6,200 MD : 9,897 8,694 9,351 9,371 10,110 10,053 MS : 18,501 18,852 *18,749 18,884 19,097 18,867 NC : 18,151 18,294 *18,728 19,091 18,634 18,588 OK : 6,432 6,378 6,632 6,373 6,465 6,672 PA : 3,447 3,434 3,136 *3,427 *3,505 3,592 SC : 4,820 4,842 4,823 4,857 *4,814 4,842 TX : 14,414 14,780 14,801 14,810 14,750 14,743 VA : 6,520 6,491 6,562 6,720 6,711 6,632 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: 19,613 *19,676 20,275 20,606 *20,655 20,472 : 19 State Total : 202,772 *202,444 *204,499 *205,341 *206,154 204,317 : Previous Year Total : 208,199 210,479 211,110 210,211 209,711 208,001 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 97 96 97 98 98 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 8 : Feb 15 : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,390 20,696 21,200 20,287 21,816 21,479 AR : 25,475 23,806 24,509 24,680 25,491 23,738 DE : 4,698 5,539 5,114 5,171 *4,688 4,570 FL : 1,393 1,739 1,491 1,752 *1,798 1,668 GA : 25,425 25,761 25,415 *25,634 *24,378 24,918 KY : 5,315 5,366 5,491 5,503 *5,204 5,233 MD : 6,265 5,601 5,732 5,692 *5,242 6,260 MS : 15,479 15,967 15,757 15,534 15,579 15,859 NC : 14,439 14,217 14,011 14,332 14,199 14,729 OK : 4,259 4,415 4,091 4,840 3,634 4,458 PA : 2,482 2,551 2,523 *2,422 *2,501 2,373 SC : 3,607 3,534 3,708 3,134 4,812 4,430 TX : 11,902 12,337 11,869 11,657 11,952 12,373 VA : 5,617 5,612 5,286 5,847 5,854 5,334 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: 17,141 18,703 18,209 16,980 *17,580 19,974 : 19 State Total : 164,887 165,844 164,406 *163,465 *164,728 167,396 : Previous Year Total : 165,373 167,095 170,461 169,215 171,686 172,382 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 100 99 96 97 96 97 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised