Pou 2-2 (12-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 10, 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 1 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 203 million eggs in incubators during the week ending December 6, 2003. This was up 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 Up 3 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 167 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 6, 2003. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through December 6, 2003 were 8.15 billion, down slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on December 17, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 1 : Nov 8 : Nov 15 : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 25,819 28,438 *29,523 28,598 29,276 29,379 AR : 27,849 29,303 29,786 29,996 30,487 30,058 DE : 3,690 3,906 3,544 3,546 3,785 3,828 FL : 1,353 1,351 1,353 1,352 1,352 1,354 GA : 30,141 31,432 *32,944 31,862 32,964 31,576 KY : 6,328 6,553 6,739 *6,783 *6,895 6,965 LA : 3,847 3,861 3,886 3,845 3,846 3,832 MD : 8,840 8,891 8,417 8,752 8,753 8,763 MS : 16,501 17,597 18,276 18,389 19,027 19,237 NC : 17,707 17,872 *18,138 18,125 18,104 16,791 OK : 6,090 5,890 6,400 6,391 6,312 6,358 PA : 3,409 3,590 3,711 3,751 *3,606 3,549 SC : 4,097 4,104 3,749 3,618 3,940 3,794 TX : 14,380 *14,787 *14,509 *14,779 *14,854 14,151 VA : 6,205 6,116 6,591 6,622 6,622 6,438 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 16,044 *17,319 *17,500 *17,049 *17,594 16,810 : 19 State Total : 192,300 *201,010 *205,066 *203,458 *207,417 202,883 : Previous Year Total : 189,835 197,676 199,041 200,518 202,537 199,994 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 101 102 103 101 102 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 1 : Nov 8 : Nov 15 : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 20,866 19,712 20,197 19,326 21,133 21,822 AR : 23,060 23,263 23,335 22,777 23,381 22,652 DE : 4,616 4,836 4,306 4,901 5,638 4,892 FL : 1,518 1,525 1,664 1,491 1,809 1,595 GA : 25,322 23,856 22,525 23,396 25,062 25,000 KY : 5,957 4,893 5,287 *5,280 *5,113 5,465 LA : 3,620 3,785 3,417 3,976 3,885 3,868 MD : 5,418 4,490 5,270 5,636 5,188 5,299 MS : 14,983 14,254 15,291 14,292 15,146 15,738 NC : 13,155 13,270 *14,247 *13,844 *14,175 14,550 OK : 3,924 5,143 4,374 4,255 4,476 5,858 PA : 2,505 2,370 2,489 2,564 *2,655 2,678 SC : 4,196 3,262 3,342 4,325 4,294 4,273 TX : 11,863 *10,645 10,738 11,887 12,276 12,030 VA : 5,130 5,168 5,629 4,953 *4,527 5,822 CA, MO, TN, & WV : *14,115 13,435 *13,800 *13,995 *15,256 15,500 : 19 State Total :*160,248 *153,907 *155,911 *156,898 *164,014 167,042 : Previous Year Total : 155,287 151,790 147,970 154,972 161,690 161,841 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 103 101 105 101 101 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised