Pou 2-2 (3-06) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 22, 2006, 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-Type Eggs Set In 19 Selected States Up Slightly Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 214 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 18, 2006. 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 Slightly Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 177 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 18, 2006. Placements were up slightly from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 1, 2006 through March 18, 2006 were 1.92 billion, down slightly from the same period a year earlier. ******** 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-Type Eggs Set, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 11 : Feb 18 : Feb 25 : Mar 4 : Mar 11 : Mar 18 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 31,872 31,815 *31,810 31,895 31,866 31,929 AR : 30,591 31,038 *30,903 30,868 31,164 30,561 DE : 3,713 3,987 3,920 3,872 3,742 3,781 FL : 1,368 1,354 1,373 1,364 1,369 1,365 GA : 33,992 34,226 34,816 34,827 34,980 34,004 KY : 5,943 *7,120 7,143 7,130 *7,154 6,763 LA : 4,136 4,166 4,166 4,088 4,136 4,136 MD : 8,622 8,901 8,871 8,977 8,980 8,964 MS : 18,323 18,108 18,392 18,439 18,439 18,326 NC : 18,738 19,355 *19,477 18,986 *18,945 18,564 OK : 6,665 6,759 6,617 6,633 *6,657 6,510 PA : 4,063 3,333 4,214 *3,947 *4,076 3,984 SC : 5,345 5,369 5,339 5,444 5,425 5,171 TX : 15,117 15,144 15,189 15,266 15,184 15,180 VA : 6,360 6,296 6,410 6,577 6,644 6,607 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,768 18,210 18,202 18,361 *18,192 17,878 : 19 State Total : 212,616 *215,181 *216,842 *216,674 *216,953 213,723 : Previous Year Total : 213,830 213,897 213,989 214,750 213,629 213,135 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 101 101 101 102 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 11 : Feb 18 : Feb 25 : Mar 4 : Mar 11 : Mar 18 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,416 20,851 21,339 21,298 *21,608 22,003 AR : 25,383 23,786 23,863 24,141 *23,761 25,107 DE : 5,267 5,874 5,648 5,207 6,049 5,319 FL : 1,843 1,496 1,498 1,494 1,451 1,541 GA : 27,662 28,038 27,129 27,560 *28,060 27,986 KY : 6,370 6,097 5,913 4,925 *6,435 5,812 LA : 3,950 4,229 4,174 3,806 4,048 3,830 MD : 6,022 4,960 5,022 5,194 4,949 5,091 MS : 16,244 16,547 16,428 16,541 16,272 16,514 NC : 14,471 14,951 15,346 15,346 *15,577 15,845 OK : 4,781 5,948 5,391 5,242 *5,205 4,185 PA : 2,936 2,989 2,732 *2,844 *2,591 2,946 SC : 5,239 4,562 4,338 5,152 4,611 4,721 TX : 12,999 13,148 12,622 12,920 12,885 13,071 VA : 4,952 4,996 5,092 5,235 5,110 5,646 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 16,486 15,909 16,607 16,756 *16,832 17,461 : 19 State Total : 176,021 174,381 173,142 *173,661 *175,444 177,078 : Previous Year Total : 175,504 175,869 176,799 176,267 176,772 176,235 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 100 99 98 99 99 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised