Pou 2-2 (4-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 30, 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 Slightly Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 209 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 26, 2003. This was down slightly 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 172 million chicks for meat production during the week ending April 26, 2003. Placements were down 1 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through April 26, 2003 were 2.83 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 May 7, 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 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 28,537 28,110 *28,714 28,843 28,250 28,719 AR : 29,982 29,511 30,672 30,527 30,670 30,900 DE : 3,711 3,633 3,859 3,753 4,007 3,634 FL : 1,634 1,597 1,687 1,491 1,602 1,731 GA : 31,571 *31,200 *32,083 32,081 *31,700 31,795 KY : 6,821 *5,961 *7,095 6,500 *6,518 7,142 MD : 9,509 9,516 10,050 10,069 9,924 9,613 MS : 19,110 19,116 19,229 19,231 *19,037 18,575 NC : 18,876 19,163 *19,180 18,904 19,253 19,275 OK : 6,580 6,219 6,620 6,458 6,513 6,511 PA : 3,405 3,996 4,010 *3,929 *3,877 3,713 SC : 4,903 4,983 4,911 4,958 4,578 4,771 TX : 14,302 14,756 14,990 15,153 15,220 15,012 VA : 6,637 6,714 6,521 6,502 6,692 6,628 CA, MO, LA, TN, & WV: 20,882 20,693 20,821 20,867 *20,405 21,199 : 19 State Total : 206,460 *205,168 *210,442 *209,266 *208,246 209,218 : Previous Year Total : 208,998 207,957 212,708 211,681 211,242 210,178 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 99 99 99 99 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,568 21,078 21,442 21,439 21,366 21,554 AR : 24,173 24,592 23,750 23,255 24,054 25,096 DE : 4,988 5,270 5,258 4,973 5,266 5,899 FL : 1,566 1,632 1,608 1,892 1,638 1,634 GA : 25,718 25,472 25,057 25,162 *24,127 25,622 KY : 5,343 5,171 5,324 5,945 *5,717 6,203 MD : 6,108 6,258 6,592 6,341 5,945 5,600 MS : 16,374 16,390 16,209 16,425 *16,572 16,549 NC : 15,066 15,134 14,897 15,268 15,033 14,780 OK : 4,825 4,357 4,850 5,474 4,389 4,424 PA : 2,588 2,713 2,655 *2,565 *2,760 2,736 SC : 3,827 4,020 4,201 3,498 4,088 4,206 TX : 12,417 12,265 12,194 11,888 12,314 12,405 VA : 5,258 5,407 5,358 5,149 5,506 5,986 CA, MO, LA, TN, & WV: 19,306 19,566 18,468 19,508 *18,310 19,087 : 19 State Total : 169,125 169,325 167,863 *168,782 *167,085 171,781 : Previous Year Total : 171,084 170,726 168,672 169,829 168,903 172,792 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 99 100 99 99 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised