Pou 2-2 (4-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 2, 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 Down Slightly Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 216 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 29, 2008. 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 3 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 180 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 29, 2008. Placements were up 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through March 29, 2008 were 2.32 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 23 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 32,024 31,986 32,195 32,497 32,257 32,396 AR : 28,455 28,444 *28,124 28,100 27,080 26,038 DE : 3,997 3,982 3,969 3,960 3,983 4,005 FL : 1,369 1,403 *1,418 1,369 1,414 1,419 GA : 35,314 35,129 35,088 35,245 34,444 34,663 KY : *7,971 *8,079 *7,925 7,744 *7,870 8,127 LA : 3,924 *3,847 *3,893 *3,847 3,893 3,984 MD : 8,975 9,138 8,904 9,097 8,833 8,956 MS : 18,907 18,774 18,865 19,031 18,802 18,863 NC : 19,748 19,953 19,995 20,134 *20,080 20,130 OK : 6,516 6,451 6,508 6,387 6,497 6,135 PA : 3,998 4,179 4,130 4,457 4,205 4,175 SC : 5,518 5,800 5,585 5,765 5,600 5,436 TX : 15,869 16,182 15,977 15,695 15,541 15,744 VA : 6,443 6,443 6,413 6,080 6,621 6,350 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 20,283 20,030 *20,366 *19,061 *19,705 20,001 : 19 State Total :*219,311 *219,820 *219,355 *218,469 *216,825 216,422 : Previous Year Total : 214,659 216,547 215,392 215,713 215,836 216,641 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 102 102 102 101 100 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Feb 23 : Mar 1 : Mar 8 : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 20,671 21,620 21,221 21,768 *21,579 22,122 AR : 23,908 22,362 24,135 26,128 23,625 23,607 DE : 4,880 5,668 4,939 5,058 5,338 5,156 FL : 1,317 1,302 1,459 1,353 1,305 1,353 GA : 29,334 *28,845 *30,115 *29,386 *29,748 29,035 KY : 6,439 6,348 *5,508 *6,271 *6,217 5,952 LA : 3,835 3,747 3,897 3,655 3,883 3,730 MD : 6,618 5,271 6,403 5,836 5,745 5,652 MS : 17,282 16,945 17,056 17,438 17,307 17,276 NC : 16,404 16,322 16,694 16,147 *16,344 16,182 OK : 5,374 5,575 5,086 3,606 4,613 4,913 PA : 3,344 *3,238 *3,317 *3,077 *3,238 3,247 SC : 4,306 5,336 3,987 4,646 4,438 4,877 TX : 12,827 12,970 13,296 13,420 13,695 13,549 VA : 4,860 5,142 4,818 5,021 *5,149 5,448 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 16,841 16,918 17,866 *17,520 *18,650 18,330 : 19 State Total : 178,240 *177,609 *179,797 *180,330 *180,874 180,429 : Previous Year Total : 172,634 173,482 174,818 174,417 175,877 175,861 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 103 102 103 103 103 103 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised