Pou 2-2 (4-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 16, 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 1 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 209 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 12, 2003. This was down 1 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 Slightly Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 169 million chicks for meat production during the week ending April 12, 2003. Placements were down slightly from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through April 12, 2003 were 2.49 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 23, 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 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 27,895 28,325 *28,537 27,815 28,204 28,843 AR : 30,315 29,522 29,982 29,511 30,672 30,527 DE : 3,539 3,765 3,711 3,633 3,859 3,753 FL : 1,630 1,452 1,634 1,597 *1,687 1,491 GA : 32,278 *31,553 *31,496 31,092 *32,089 32,081 KY : 6,740 6,430 *6,821 *6,581 *6,775 6,500 MD : 10,110 10,053 9,509 9,516 10,050 10,069 MS : 19,097 18,882 19,110 19,116 19,229 19,231 NC : 18,816 *18,253 *18,876 18,985 18,622 18,904 OK : 6,465 6,672 6,580 6,219 *6,620 6,458 PA : 3,599 3,496 3,405 *3,996 *3,848 3,679 SC : 4,814 4,842 4,903 4,983 4,911 4,958 TX : 14,722 14,750 *14,302 14,756 14,990 15,153 VA : 6,711 6,632 6,637 6,714 6,521 6,502 CA, MO, LA, TN, & WV: 20,808 20,331 *20,882 20,693 *20,821 20,877 : 19 State Total : 207,539 *204,958 *206,385 *205,207 *208,898 209,026 : Previous Year Total : 209,711 208,001 208,762 207,728 212,490 211,198 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 99 99 99 98 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,816 21,484 21,568 21,078 21,442 21,439 AR : 25,491 23,738 24,173 24,592 *23,750 23,255 DE : 4,688 4,570 4,988 5,270 5,258 4,973 FL : 1,798 1,668 1,566 1,632 *1,608 1,892 GA : 24,378 25,065 25,718 25,471 *25,095 25,447 KY : 5,739 4,964 5,343 5,171 5,324 5,945 MD : 5,242 6,260 6,108 6,258 6,592 6,341 MS : 15,579 15,850 16,374 16,390 16,209 16,425 NC : 14,199 14,729 15,066 15,134 14,897 15,268 OK : 3,634 4,458 4,825 4,357 *4,850 5,474 PA : 2,479 2,358 2,588 *2,713 *2,478 2,538 SC : 4,812 4,430 3,827 4,020 4,201 3,498 TX : 11,970 12,391 12,417 12,265 12,194 11,888 VA : 5,854 5,334 5,258 5,407 5,358 5,149 CA, MO, LA, TN, & WV: 17,551 19,940 19,306 19,566 *18,468 19,506 : 19 State Total : 165,230 167,239 169,125 *169,324 *167,724 169,038 : Previous Year Total : 171,686 172,382 171,346 171,323 168,978 169,433 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 96 97 99 99 99 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised