Pou 2-2 (3-06) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 29, 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 Down Slightly Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 212 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 25, 2006. This was down 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 25, 2006. Placements were up slightly from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 1, 2006 through March 25, 2006 were 2.10 billion, up 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 18 : Feb 25 : Mar 4 : Mar 11 : Mar 18 : Mar 25 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 31,815 31,810 31,895 31,866 31,929 31,790 AR : 31,038 *31,029 30,868 31,164 30,561 30,151 DE : 3,987 3,920 3,872 3,742 3,781 3,781 FL : 1,354 1,373 1,364 1,369 1,365 1,364 GA : 34,226 34,816 34,827 34,980 34,004 35,187 KY : 7,120 *7,129 *7,162 7,154 6,763 7,124 LA : 4,166 4,166 4,088 4,136 4,136 3,756 MD : 8,901 8,871 8,977 8,980 8,964 8,628 MS : 18,108 18,392 18,439 18,439 18,326 18,528 NC : 19,355 19,477 *19,219 18,945 *18,603 18,043 OK : 6,759 6,617 6,633 6,657 6,510 6,659 PA : 3,333 4,214 3,947 *4,118 *4,052 3,746 SC : 5,369 5,339 5,444 5,425 5,171 5,382 TX : 15,144 15,189 15,266 15,184 15,180 13,455 VA : 6,296 6,410 6,577 6,644 6,607 6,561 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 18,210 18,202 18,361 *17,942 *17,863 17,987 : 19 State Total : 215,181 *216,954 *216,939 *216,745 *213,815 212,142 : Previous Year Total : 213,897 213,989 214,750 213,629 213,135 212,819 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 101 101 101 101 100 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 18 : Feb 25 : Mar 4 : Mar 11 : Mar 18 : Mar 25 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 : 2006 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 20,851 21,339 21,298 21,608 22,003 21,700 AR : 23,786 23,863 24,141 23,761 25,107 25,275 DE : 5,874 5,648 5,207 6,049 5,319 5,126 FL : 1,496 1,498 1,494 1,451 1,541 1,486 GA : 28,038 27,129 27,560 28,060 27,986 28,989 KY : 6,097 5,913 4,925 6,435 *5,815 5,741 LA : 4,229 4,174 3,806 4,048 3,830 3,831 MD : 4,960 5,022 5,194 4,949 5,091 5,700 MS : 16,547 16,428 16,541 16,272 16,514 16,428 NC : 14,951 15,346 15,346 15,577 *15,839 15,323 OK : 5,948 5,391 5,242 5,205 4,185 5,095 PA : 2,989 2,732 2,844 *2,730 *2,986 2,936 SC : 4,562 4,338 5,152 4,611 4,721 4,846 TX : 13,148 12,622 12,920 12,885 13,071 13,101 VA : 4,996 5,092 5,235 5,110 5,646 5,098 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 15,909 16,607 16,756 *17,033 *17,668 16,443 : 19 State Total : 174,381 173,142 173,661 *175,784 *177,322 177,118 : Previous Year Total : 175,869 176,799 176,267 176,772 176,235 176,843 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 98 99 99 101 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised