Pou 2-2 (12-03) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 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 Up 2 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 205 million eggs in incubators during the week ending December 27, 2003. This was up 2 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 168 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 27, 2003. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 29, 2002 through December 27, 2003 were 8.65 billion, down slightly from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on January 7, 2004. 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 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 28,630 *29,133 29,379 29,560 *29,419 29,541 AR : 29,996 30,923 *30,882 30,992 30,777 31,091 DE : 3,546 3,785 3,828 3,805 3,777 3,740 FL : 1,352 1,352 1,354 1,354 1,353 1,353 GA : 32,026 *33,213 *32,538 33,269 32,128 32,811 KY : 6,884 6,895 6,965 6,768 6,781 6,647 LA : 3,845 3,846 3,832 3,847 3,784 3,452 MD : 8,752 8,865 8,763 8,868 8,884 8,810 MS : 18,571 19,027 19,237 19,396 19,182 18,908 NC : 17,986 18,386 *16,278 18,004 18,046 17,187 OK : 6,391 6,312 6,358 6,371 6,442 6,314 PA : 3,845 3,841 3,795 3,624 *3,799 3,823 SC : 3,618 3,940 3,794 3,861 3,517 3,614 TX : 14,779 14,854 14,151 13,879 14,882 14,631 VA : 6,622 6,622 6,438 6,349 6,325 6,174 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,313 17,594 16,821 16,591 17,284 17,274 : 19 State Total : 204,156 *208,588 *204,413 206,538 *206,380 205,370 : Previous Year Total : 200,518 202,537 199,994 203,251 200,056 201,018 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 102 103 102 102 103 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 19,326 21,133 21,822 21,878 *21,240 22,003 AR : 22,777 23,381 22,786 23,280 24,764 25,686 DE : 4,901 6,159 4,892 4,689 4,857 4,349 FL : 1,548 1,809 1,644 1,420 *1,827 1,703 GA : 23,264 24,971 25,137 24,688 *26,081 26,148 KY : 5,219 5,051 5,432 5,849 *5,761 5,688 LA : 3,976 3,885 3,868 3,933 3,554 3,708 MD : 5,636 5,243 5,299 5,942 6,101 6,277 MS : 14,292 15,146 15,738 15,804 *16,328 16,463 NC : 13,844 14,130 14,550 14,354 14,608 13,481 OK : 4,255 4,476 5,858 5,512 4,383 3,880 PA : 2,496 2,674 2,663 2,669 *2,646 2,592 SC : 4,325 4,294 4,273 3,842 4,469 3,928 TX : 11,887 12,276 12,030 12,292 12,356 11,822 VA : 4,953 4,527 5,822 5,285 5,131 4,985 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 13,995 15,256 16,000 15,254 16,027 15,136 : 19 State Total : 156,694 164,411 167,814 166,691 *170,133 167,849 : Previous Year Total : 154,972 161,690 161,841 163,147 164,898 162,414 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 101 102 104 102 103 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised