Pou 2-2 (10-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 29, 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 Up 5 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 190 million eggs in incubators during the week ending October 25, 2003. This was up 5 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 Up 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 159 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 25, 2003. Placements were up 1 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through October 25, 2003 were 7.19 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 November 5, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : Oct 11 : Oct 18 : Oct 25 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 27,015 27,391 *28,577 28,048 *28,282 26,822 AR : 30,458 30,013 28,806 29,386 28,862 29,106 DE : 3,327 3,479 3,670 3,529 3,531 3,233 FL : 1,345 1,369 1,369 1,359 1,365 1,353 GA : *30,885 *30,129 *30,719 32,016 29,461 28,898 KY : 6,047 6,576 *6,147 6,626 *5,370 6,025 LA : 3,847 3,891 3,861 3,758 3,782 3,691 MD : 8,118 8,411 *8,417 8,502 8,005 7,808 MS : 17,624 17,357 *17,260 17,910 16,983 17,287 NC : 15,614 17,546 *16,296 15,940 16,677 17,291 OK : 6,356 5,651 6,056 5,864 *6,037 6,505 PA : 3,343 3,491 3,679 *3,451 *3,457 3,582 SC : 4,482 4,417 4,578 4,080 3,907 4,206 TX : 13,016 14,357 *14,179 14,217 12,863 12,978 VA : 6,072 6,391 5,713 6,360 6,378 6,670 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 15,723 15,327 *15,304 *15,337 *15,133 14,953 : 19 State Total :*193,272 *195,796 *194,631 *196,383 *190,093 190,408 : Previous Year Total : 189,744 191,851 193,083 192,080 185,654 181,106 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 102 102 101 102 102 105 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : Oct 11 : Oct 18 : Oct 25 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,970 21,676 20,614 20,421 *20,649 21,380 AR : 24,721 24,992 22,702 23,157 *23,755 23,230 DE : 4,644 4,831 4,439 4,553 4,189 4,359 FL : 1,586 1,651 1,605 *1,505 *1,876 1,506 GA : 25,369 24,677 24,145 *24,338 *24,134 24,391 KY : 5,475 5,273 4,933 5,553 *5,488 5,352 LA : 3,292 3,704 3,600 3,704 3,896 3,578 MD : 6,614 5,378 5,563 5,232 6,308 5,727 MS : 15,577 15,904 15,221 14,673 *14,526 14,925 NC : 13,226 13,000 13,156 12,575 13,790 13,225 OK : 4,273 4,574 5,390 5,769 *4,197 3,966 PA : 2,706 2,691 2,635 *2,555 *2,521 2,616 SC : 4,607 3,827 4,265 4,188 3,685 4,040 TX : 12,165 12,193 11,670 10,809 11,954 11,758 VA : 4,979 5,231 4,696 4,696 5,069 4,415 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 13,960 13,521 14,566 *13,996 *14,211 14,160 : 19 State Total : 165,164 163,123 159,200 *157,724 *160,248 158,628 : Previous Year Total : 165,465 165,235 155,770 154,082 155,782 157,001 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 100 99 102 102 103 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised