Pou 2-2 (4-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 23, 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 2 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 215 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 19, 2008. This was down 2 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 Down Slightly Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 177 million chicks for meat production during the week ending April 19, 2008. Placements were down slightly from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through April 19, 2008 were 2.86 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 32,300 31,727 *32,056 32,574 *31,928 32,075 AR : 28,100 27,080 26,038 26,530 *27,171 27,393 DE : 3,960 3,957 4,065 4,090 4,027 3,942 FL : 1,414 1,414 1,419 1,413 1,413 1,327 GA : 35,245 34,426 34,663 34,911 34,137 34,651 KY : 7,959 7,718 *8,111 7,909 7,902 7,702 LA : 3,847 3,712 *3,712 3,937 3,712 3,712 MD : 9,097 8,831 8,939 9,106 8,779 8,995 MS : 19,031 19,164 18,863 18,926 19,242 18,877 NC : 20,190 20,233 *19,419 20,312 20,370 19,587 OK : 6,455 6,497 6,135 6,368 6,580 6,319 PA : 4,457 4,294 4,290 4,265 *4,198 4,347 SC : 5,765 5,726 5,436 5,501 5,611 5,406 TX : 15,686 15,531 15,732 15,683 15,574 15,063 VA : 6,080 6,621 6,350 6,269 6,416 6,164 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 19,567 19,743 19,890 *20,139 *20,224 19,935 : 19 State Total : 219,153 216,674 *215,118 *217,933 *217,284 215,495 : Previous Year Total : 215,611 215,509 216,513 218,877 219,385 220,515 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 102 101 99 100 99 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 15 : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,768 21,579 22,103 21,853 *21,311 21,702 AR : 26,218 23,727 23,655 23,889 *23,233 21,947 DE : 5,058 5,191 5,203 4,902 4,804 4,867 FL : 1,353 1,305 1,353 1,291 1,333 1,191 GA : 29,386 29,748 28,943 28,899 *28,232 28,810 KY : 6,271 6,165 5,929 6,229 *6,054 6,459 LA : 3,655 3,883 3,730 3,715 3,726 3,607 MD : 5,836 5,989 5,561 6,917 6,095 6,590 MS : 17,438 17,307 17,262 17,340 17,375 17,291 NC : 16,147 16,344 16,196 16,072 16,658 15,649 OK : 3,605 4,613 4,913 5,173 5,632 4,964 PA : 3,077 3,240 3,215 3,435 *3,352 3,351 SC : 4,646 4,438 4,877 5,159 4,776 4,418 TX : 13,444 13,719 13,573 13,109 13,010 13,097 VA : 5,021 5,149 5,448 5,069 5,720 5,021 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,503 18,701 18,306 *17,846 *17,035 18,209 : 19 State Total : 180,426 181,098 180,267 *180,898 *178,346 177,173 : Previous Year Total : 174,791 176,045 176,014 177,141 177,312 177,686 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 103 103 102 102 101 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised