Pou 2-2 (4-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 2, 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 29, 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 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 169 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 29, 2003. Placements were down 1 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through March 29, 2003 were 2.15 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 April 9, 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 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 28,185 28,387 *27,895 28,229 28,227 27,832 AR : 30,762 30,603 *30,315 29,371 29,982 29,511 DE : 3,288 3,500 3,539 3,765 3,711 3,633 FL : 1,598 1,627 *1,630 1,532 1,634 1,597 GA : 31,336 31,708 *31,946 30,759 30,862 30,796 KY : 6,358 6,457 *6,740 6,200 *6,316 6,291 MD : 9,351 9,371 10,110 10,053 *9,509 9,487 MS : 18,749 19,066 19,097 18,882 19,110 19,116 NC : 18,728 18,788 *18,816 18,588 18,680 18,985 OK : 6,632 6,373 6,465 6,672 *6,580 6,219 PA : 3,136 3,427 3,599 *3,496 *3,446 3,519 SC : 4,823 4,857 4,814 4,842 4,903 4,983 TX : 14,801 14,810 14,750 14,743 14,495 14,750 VA : 6,562 6,720 6,711 6,632 6,637 6,714 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: 20,275 20,615 *20,897 *20,331 *20,871 20,705 : 19 State Total : 204,584 206,309 *207,324 *204,095 *204,963 204,138 : Previous Year Total : 211,110 210,211 209,711 208,001 208,762 207,728 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 97 98 99 98 98 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 22 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,200 20,287 21,816 21,479 21,568 20,954 AR : 24,509 24,680 25,491 23,738 *24,173 24,592 DE : 5,189 4,997 4,688 4,570 *4,988 5,388 FL : 1,491 1,752 1,798 1,668 1,566 1,632 GA : 25,415 25,634 24,378 *24,826 *25,486 25,212 KY : 5,491 5,503 5,204 5,265 5,298 5,558 MD : 5,695 5,920 5,242 6,260 *6,108 6,067 MS : 15,757 15,534 15,579 15,850 16,374 16,390 NC : 14,011 14,332 14,199 14,729 *15,066 15,134 OK : 4,091 4,840 3,634 4,458 4,825 4,357 PA : 2,523 2,422 2,479 *2,358 *2,528 2,638 SC : 3,708 3,134 4,812 4,430 *3,827 4,020 TX : 11,869 11,657 11,952 12,373 12,399 12,247 VA : 5,286 5,847 5,854 5,334 5,258 5,449 CA, LA, MO, TN, & WV: *18,234 16,980 *17,617 *19,992 *19,363 19,623 : 19 State Total :*164,469 163,519 *164,743 *167,330 *168,827 169,261 : Previous Year Total : 170,461 169,215 171,686 172,382 171,346 171,323 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 96 97 96 97 99 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised