Pou 2-2 (3-04) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 10, 2004, 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 209 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 6, 2004. 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 2 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 169 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 6, 2004. Placements were up 2 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 28, 2003 through March 6, 2004 were 1.68 billion, up 2 percent from the same period a year earlier. * * * * * * * * The next "Broiler Hatchery" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on March 17, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 31 : Feb 7 : Feb 14 : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 6 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 29,084 29,171 *29,598 29,778 30,416 30,426 AR : 30,944 30,374 31,055 31,033 30,948 31,160 DE : 3,624 3,721 3,703 2,976 3,091 3,085 FL : 1,347 1,364 1,354 1,363 1,359 1,359 GA : 33,063 33,308 *33,138 33,334 33,352 32,686 KY : 6,496 7,099 7,013 7,034 *6,945 7,016 LA : 3,657 3,673 3,774 3,812 3,831 3,787 MD : 8,840 8,570 8,930 8,846 8,854 8,861 MS : 19,207 19,049 19,229 19,179 19,061 19,219 NC : 17,556 *18,328 *18,395 18,610 18,615 18,437 OK : 5,655 6,338 6,357 6,519 *6,430 6,516 PA : 3,524 3,722 3,611 3,693 3,755 3,764 SC : 3,646 3,638 3,488 3,767 3,810 3,781 TX : 14,802 14,785 14,976 14,949 15,032 15,015 VA : 6,129 6,363 6,308 6,417 6,520 6,544 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 16,886 17,322 17,191 17,379 *17,891 17,791 : 19 State Total : 204,460 *206,825 *208,120 208,689 *209,910 209,447 : Previous Year Total : 203,905 202,772 202,449 204,584 206,547 207,539 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 100 102 103 102 102 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Jan 31 : Feb 7 : Feb 14 : Feb 21 : Feb 28 : Mar 6 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 22,264 21,502 21,695 20,929 21,906 21,665 AR : 23,910 24,701 24,306 24,458 *24,831 25,759 DE : 5,369 4,730 4,183 5,126 4,512 4,145 FL : 1,603 1,859 1,689 1,956 1,425 1,695 GA : 25,636 25,821 25,613 25,969 26,370 26,205 KY : 5,254 5,582 4,545 5,642 *6,228 5,730 LA : 3,668 3,702 3,532 3,489 3,448 3,522 MD : 5,461 5,657 6,394 5,302 5,815 6,312 MS : 16,402 16,598 16,309 16,524 16,379 16,404 NC : 14,303 14,056 14,246 14,067 14,229 14,409 OK : 5,250 4,902 4,916 4,369 *4,842 4,087 PA : 2,532 2,646 2,676 2,502 2,641 2,651 SC : 4,204 4,162 4,154 4,154 3,795 3,980 TX : 12,098 12,165 12,172 12,211 12,107 12,269 VA : 4,751 5,634 5,099 4,925 4,890 5,093 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 15,393 15,195 15,326 15,019 *14,940 15,225 : 19 State Total : 168,098 168,912 166,855 166,642 *168,358 169,151 : Previous Year Total : 166,420 164,887 165,871 164,469 163,548 165,230 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 101 102 101 101 103 102 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised