Pou 2-2 (3-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 19, 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 15, 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 180 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 15, 2008. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through March 15, 2008 were 1.96 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 9 : Feb 16 : Feb 23 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 31,879 31,899 *32,024 31,882 32,195 32,497 AR : 27,784 28,156 28,455 28,418 28,061 28,100 DE : 3,868 3,999 3,997 3,982 3,969 3,960 FL : 1,379 1,389 1,369 1,358 1,368 1,369 GA : 35,460 35,318 35,314 35,129 35,088 35,245 KY : 7,432 7,371 *7,921 8,017 *7,988 7,744 LA : 3,984 3,924 3,924 3,924 3,924 3,924 MD : 9,104 9,067 8,975 9,138 8,904 9,097 MS : 18,661 18,722 *18,907 18,774 18,865 19,031 NC : 19,796 19,970 *19,748 20,142 19,995 20,102 OK : 6,305 6,487 6,516 6,451 6,508 6,387 PA : 4,295 4,395 3,998 4,179 *4,067 4,338 SC : 5,714 5,693 5,518 5,800 5,585 5,735 TX : 15,708 15,806 15,869 15,948 15,977 15,695 VA : 6,341 6,428 6,443 6,443 6,413 6,080 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 19,561 *19,855 *20,283 *20,030 *20,084 19,598 : 19 State Total : 217,271 *218,479 *219,261 *219,615 *218,991 218,902 : Previous Year Total : 212,295 214,750 214,659 216,547 215,392 215,713 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 102 102 102 101 102 101 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 9 : Feb 16 : Feb 23 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,019 20,895 20,671 21,620 *21,221 21,768 AR : 22,526 23,171 23,908 22,362 24,135 26,128 DE : 4,917 4,397 4,880 5,668 *4,939 5,058 FL : 1,417 1,382 1,317 1,302 1,459 1,353 GA : 28,747 29,045 29,334 28,745 29,438 29,305 KY : 5,812 6,563 6,439 6,348 *5,505 6,262 LA : 4,033 3,606 3,835 3,747 3,897 3,655 MD : 6,197 7,291 6,618 5,271 *6,403 5,836 MS : 17,234 17,136 *17,282 16,945 17,056 17,438 NC : 16,153 16,257 16,404 16,322 16,694 16,120 OK : 5,171 5,688 5,374 5,575 5,086 3,606 PA : 3,289 3,233 3,344 3,234 *3,329 3,034 SC : 4,789 4,243 4,306 5,336 3,987 4,646 TX : 12,930 12,890 12,827 12,970 13,296 13,420 VA : 5,010 4,880 4,860 5,142 4,818 5,021 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,169 *16,864 16,841 16,918 *17,866 17,372 : 19 State Total : 176,413 *177,541 *178,240 177,505 *179,129 180,022 : Previous Year Total : 170,798 171,611 172,634 173,482 174,818 174,417 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 103 103 103 102 102 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised