Pou 2-2 (4-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 30, 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 213 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 26, 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 1 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 178 million chicks for meat production during the week ending April 26, 2008. Placements were down 1 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through April 26, 2008 were 3.03 billion, up 2 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 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 31,727 *31,597 *31,799 *31,838 *31,928 32,248 AR : 27,080 26,038 *26,966 27,171 *27,408 27,071 DE : 3,957 4,065 4,090 4,027 3,942 3,721 FL : 1,414 1,419 1,413 1,413 1,327 1,306 GA : 34,426 34,663 34,911 34,137 34,651 33,997 KY : 7,718 8,111 *8,042 7,902 7,702 7,391 LA : 3,712 3,712 3,937 3,712 3,712 3,712 MD : 8,831 8,939 9,106 8,779 8,995 8,223 MS : 19,164 18,863 18,926 19,242 18,877 18,999 NC : *19,409 19,419 *19,609 *19,589 19,587 19,714 OK : 6,497 6,135 6,368 6,580 *6,682 6,252 PA : 4,294 4,290 4,265 4,198 *4,349 4,217 SC : 5,726 5,436 *5,391 5,611 5,406 5,420 TX : 15,531 15,732 15,683 15,574 15,063 15,333 VA : 6,621 6,350 6,269 6,416 6,164 6,211 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 19,743 19,890 20,139 20,224 *20,107 19,413 : 19 State Total :*215,850 *214,659 *216,914 *216,413 *215,900 213,228 : Previous Year Total : 215,509 216,513 218,877 219,385 220,515 218,515 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 100 99 99 99 98 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 22 : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,579 22,103 21,853 *21,303 *21,674 20,738 AR : 23,727 23,655 *23,914 23,233 *22,047 23,230 DE : 5,191 5,203 4,902 4,804 4,867 4,584 FL : 1,305 1,353 1,291 1,333 1,191 1,255 GA : 29,748 28,943 28,899 28,232 *28,784 29,038 KY : 6,165 5,929 6,229 6,054 *6,589 6,683 LA : 3,883 3,730 3,715 3,726 3,607 3,344 MD : 5,989 5,561 6,917 6,095 6,590 7,121 MS : 17,307 17,262 17,340 17,375 17,291 17,359 NC : 16,344 16,196 16,072 *15,997 15,649 16,118 OK : 4,613 4,913 5,173 5,632 4,964 5,213 PA : 3,240 3,215 3,435 3,352 *3,323 3,340 SC : 4,438 4,877 5,159 4,776 4,418 4,434 TX : 13,719 13,573 13,109 13,010 13,097 12,719 VA : 5,149 5,448 5,069 5,720 5,021 4,767 CA, MO, TN, & WV : *18,694 *18,309 17,846 17,035 *18,143 18,165 : 19 State Total :*181,091 *180,270 *180,923 *177,677 *177,255 178,108 : Previous Year Total : 176,045 176,014 177,141 177,312 177,686 180,188 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 103 102 102 100 100 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised