Pou 2-2 (4-04) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 7, 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 Slightly Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 211 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 3, 2004. This was up 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 3 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 172 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 27, 2004. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 28, 2003 through April 3, 2004 were 2.36 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 April 14, 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 28 : Mar 6 : Mar 13 : Mar 20 : Mar 27 : Apr 3 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 30,151 30,113 *30,067 29,537 29,773 30,354 AR : 30,948 31,160 31,225 31,636 31,331 31,453 DE : 3,946 3,818 *3,716 3,611 3,834 3,738 FL : 1,344 1,359 1,334 1,349 1,337 1,343 GA : 33,414 *32,655 *32,833 32,201 32,685 32,159 KY : 7,050 7,047 7,099 6,685 7,176 7,244 LA : 3,831 3,787 3,742 3,742 3,787 3,877 MD : 8,854 8,861 8,826 8,923 8,875 8,880 MS : 19,061 19,219 19,173 19,113 19,179 19,459 NC : 18,659 18,484 *18,925 19,195 18,611 19,033 OK : 6,430 6,516 6,442 6,568 6,585 6,526 PA : 3,805 3,877 3,997 4,028 4,007 3,952 SC : 3,810 3,781 3,836 3,694 3,781 3,392 TX : 15,097 15,078 15,101 15,109 15,397 15,436 VA : 6,520 6,544 6,606 6,734 6,834 6,662 CA, MO, TN, & WV : *17,944 *17,917 17,719 17,829 *17,738 17,687 : 19 State Total :*210,864 *210,216 *210,641 209,954 *210,930 211,195 : Previous Year Total : 206,547 207,539 204,958 206,460 205,168 210,423 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 102 101 103 102 103 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 28 : Mar 6 : Mar 13 : Mar 20 : Mar 27 : Apr 3 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 : 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,906 21,665 *21,839 22,282 *21,787 21,846 AR : 24,911 25,837 25,314 24,832 24,554 25,018 DE : 4,512 4,145 4,799 5,372 4,928 4,562 FL : 1,449 1,718 1,791 1,622 *1,507 1,540 GA : 26,370 26,205 26,331 *26,135 *25,683 25,963 KY : 6,184 5,716 5,957 5,632 5,680 5,944 LA : 3,448 3,522 3,605 3,957 3,870 3,778 MD : 5,815 6,312 5,633 5,099 5,890 6,134 MS : 16,379 16,485 16,503 16,208 16,428 16,617 NC : 14,229 14,409 *15,107 14,689 14,615 15,120 OK : 4,842 4,087 5,038 5,545 5,278 5,033 PA : 2,638 2,668 2,622 2,778 2,884 2,826 SC : 3,795 3,980 3,721 4,097 4,714 4,179 TX : 12,125 12,320 12,354 12,428 12,438 12,529 VA : 4,890 5,093 4,992 5,685 5,606 5,183 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 14,826 *15,065 *15,079 *15,298 *16,306 15,999 : 19 State Total : 168,319 *169,227 *170,685 *171,659 *172,168 172,271 : Previous Year Total : 163,548 165,230 167,239 169,125 169,325 167,811 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 103 102 102 101 102 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised