Pou 2-2 (4-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 9, 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 208 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 5, 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 168 million chicks for meat production during the week ending April 5, 2003. Placements were down 1 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through April 5, 2003 were 2.32 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 16, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 28,387 27,895 *28,325 28,227 *27,815 28,204 AR : 30,603 30,315 *29,522 29,982 29,511 30,672 DE : 3,500 3,539 3,765 3,711 3,633 3,859 FL : 1,627 1,630 *1,452 1,634 1,597 1,573 GA : *31,995 *32,278 *31,387 *31,212 *31,092 31,778 KY : 6,457 6,740 *6,430 6,316 6,291 6,485 MD : 9,371 10,110 10,053 9,509 *9,516 10,050 MS : 19,066 19,097 18,882 19,110 19,116 19,229 NC : 18,788 18,816 *18,489 18,680 18,985 18,622 OK : 6,373 6,465 6,672 6,580 6,219 6,607 PA : 3,427 3,599 3,496 *3,405 *3,841 3,581 SC : 4,857 4,814 4,842 4,903 4,983 4,911 TX : *14,832 *14,722 *14,750 *14,502 *14,756 14,990 VA : 6,720 6,711 6,632 6,637 6,714 6,521 CA, MO, LA, TN, & WV: *20,544 *20,808 20,331 20,871 *20,693 20,818 : 19 State Total :*206,547 *207,539 *205,028 *205,279 *204,762 207,900 : Previous Year Total : 210,211 209,711 208,001 208,762 207,728 212,490 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 98 99 99 98 99 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 20,287 21,816 *21,484 21,568 *21,078 21,442 AR : 24,680 25,491 23,738 24,173 24,592 23,746 DE : 4,997 4,688 4,570 4,988 *5,270 5,258 FL : 1,752 1,798 1,668 1,566 1,632 1,392 GA : 25,634 24,378 *25,065 *25,718 *25,471 25,219 KY : *5,532 *5,739 *4,964 *5,343 *5,171 5,324 MD : 5,920 5,242 6,260 6,108 *6,258 6,592 MS : 15,534 15,579 15,850 16,374 16,390 16,209 NC : 14,332 14,199 14,729 15,066 15,134 14,897 OK : 4,840 3,634 4,458 4,825 4,357 4,851 PA : 2,422 2,479 2,358 *2,588 *2,639 2,545 SC : 3,134 4,812 4,430 3,827 4,020 4,201 TX : 11,657 *11,970 *12,391 *12,417 *12,265 12,194 VA : 5,847 5,854 5,334 5,258 *5,407 5,358 CA, MO, LA, TN, & WV: 16,980 *17,551 *19,940 *19,306 *19,566 18,444 : 19 State Total :*163,548 *165,230 *167,239 *169,125 *169,250 167,672 : Previous Year Total : 169,215 171,686 172,382 171,346 171,323 168,978 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 97 96 97 99 99 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised