Pou 2-2 (10-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 8, 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 193 million eggs in incubators during the week ending October 4, 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 Up 2 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 159 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 4, 2003. Placements were up 2 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through October 4, 2003 were 6.71 billion, down 1 percent from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on October 15, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 30 : Sep 6 : Sep 13 : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 29,180 29,240 *27,575 27,565 27,391 28,070 AR : 30,223 30,875 29,368 30,458 30,013 28,806 DE : 3,837 3,792 3,561 3,327 3,479 3,670 FL : 1,353 1,357 1,329 1,345 1,369 1,369 GA : *32,409 *30,844 *30,924 30,901 30,697 30,686 KY : 6,944 *6,650 *5,592 5,888 *6,494 6,031 LA : *3,691 3,923 3,771 3,847 *3,891 3,861 MD : 9,293 8,869 8,371 8,118 8,411 7,842 MS : 18,327 18,686 18,024 17,534 17,357 17,139 NC : 16,644 16,317 *16,184 15,632 17,488 15,901 OK : 6,349 6,338 6,553 6,356 5,651 6,056 PA : 3,568 *3,687 *3,557 *3,343 3,491 3,589 SC : 4,635 4,681 4,539 4,482 4,413 4,598 TX : *14,509 *14,649 *13,997 *13,016 *14,357 14,279 VA : 6,333 6,024 6,108 6,072 6,391 5,713 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 15,739 *14,723 *15,808 15,494 *15,559 15,261 : 19 State Total :*203,034 *200,655 *195,261 *193,378 *196,452 192,871 : Previous Year Total : 204,042 203,517 191,797 189,744 191,851 193,083 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 100 99 102 102 102 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 30 : Sep 6 : Sep 13 : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,871 22,012 21,482 21,970 21,676 20,614 AR : 25,015 24,254 25,581 24,721 24,992 22,702 DE : 5,302 5,213 5,784 4,644 4,831 4,439 FL : *1,800 1,831 *1,894 *1,586 *1,651 1,738 GA : 26,162 25,074 *25,959 *25,369 *24,677 23,936 KY : 5,810 5,862 *5,885 5,475 *5,273 4,883 LA : 3,601 3,545 3,740 *3,292 *3,704 3,730 MD : 5,718 5,287 5,293 6,614 5,378 5,563 MS : 16,247 16,396 16,168 15,577 15,904 15,221 NC : 13,924 14,098 13,977 13,226 13,000 13,156 OK : 4,297 4,346 4,406 4,273 4,574 5,390 PA : *2,749 *2,744 *2,702 *2,706 *2,691 2,614 SC : 4,009 *4,310 *4,204 *4,607 *3,827 4,265 TX : 11,959 *11,893 *12,080 *12,165 *12,193 11,670 VA : 5,071 5,927 5,450 4,979 5,231 4,696 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 15,126 *14,798 *14,420 *13,974 *13,528 14,513 : 19 State Total :*168,661 *167,590 *169,025 *165,178 *163,130 159,130 : Previous Year Total : 166,470 167,094 166,340 165,465 165,235 155,770 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 101 100 102 100 99 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised