Pou 2-2 (3-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 12, 2008, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Broiler Hatchery" call Sharyn Lavender at (202) 720-3244, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Broiler-Type Eggs Set In 19 Selected States Up 1 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 219 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 8, 2008. 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 3 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 179 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 8, 2008. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through March 8, 2008 were 1.78 billion, up 3 percent 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 2 : Feb 9 : Feb 16 : Feb 23 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 31,432 31,879 31,899 31,920 *31,882 32,195 AR : 28,592 27,784 28,156 28,455 28,418 28,061 DE : 4,095 3,868 3,999 *3,997 *3,982 3,969 FL : 1,379 1,379 *1,389 1,369 1,358 1,368 GA : 35,895 35,460 35,318 35,314 35,129 35,088 KY : 7,802 7,432 *7,371 7,922 8,017 8,019 LA : 3,863 3,984 3,924 3,924 3,924 3,924 MD : 9,025 9,104 9,067 8,975 9,138 8,904 MS : 18,826 18,661 *18,722 18,755 18,774 18,865 NC : 19,668 19,796 *19,970 19,775 20,142 19,995 OK : 6,661 6,305 6,487 6,516 6,451 6,508 PA : 4,261 4,295 *4,395 *3,998 *4,179 4,198 SC : 5,440 5,714 5,693 5,518 5,800 5,585 TX : *15,678 *15,708 *15,806 15,869 15,948 15,977 VA : 6,326 6,341 6,428 6,443 6,443 6,413 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 19,937 19,561 19,825 20,203 20,231 19,544 : 19 State Total :*218,880 *217,271 *218,449 *218,953 *219,816 218,613 : Previous Year Total : 211,617 212,295 214,750 214,659 216,547 215,392 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 103 102 102 102 102 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 2 : Feb 9 : Feb 16 : Feb 23 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,220 21,019 *20,895 *20,671 *21,620 21,131 AR : 23,399 22,526 23,171 23,908 22,362 24,135 DE : 4,889 4,917 4,397 *4,880 *5,668 4,908 FL : 1,384 1,417 1,382 1,317 1,302 1,459 GA : 27,937 28,747 *29,045 *29,334 *28,745 29,438 KY : 6,069 *5,812 *6,563 *6,439 *6,348 5,718 LA : 3,913 4,033 3,606 3,835 3,747 3,897 MD : 5,978 6,197 7,291 *6,618 *5,271 6,413 MS : 16,803 17,234 17,136 17,290 16,945 17,056 NC : 16,384 16,153 16,257 16,404 16,322 16,694 OK : 4,752 5,171 5,688 5,374 *5,575 5,086 PA : 3,256 3,289 *3,233 *3,344 *3,234 3,362 SC : 4,972 4,789 4,243 4,306 5,336 3,987 TX : 12,513 12,930 12,890 12,827 12,970 13,296 VA : 5,108 5,010 4,880 4,860 5,142 4,818 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,483 17,169 16,847 16,841 16,918 17,796 : 19 State Total : 176,060 *176,413 *177,524 *178,248 *177,505 179,194 : Previous Year Total : 171,953 170,798 171,611 172,634 173,482 174,818 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 102 103 103 103 102 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised