Pou 2-2 (5-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released May 7, 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 214 million eggs in incubators during the week ending May 3, 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 84 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Down 2 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 177 million chicks for meat production during the week ending May 3, 2008. Placements were down 2 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through May 3, 2008 were 3.21 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 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : May 3 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 31,597 31,799 *31,687 31,928 32,248 31,637 AR : 26,038 26,966 27,171 27,408 27,071 27,317 DE : 4,065 4,090 4,027 3,942 3,721 3,721 FL : 1,419 1,413 1,413 1,327 1,306 1,346 GA : 34,663 34,911 34,137 34,651 33,997 34,630 KY : *8,079 *8,086 *7,899 7,702 7,391 8,034 LA : 3,712 3,937 3,712 3,712 3,712 3,712 MD : 8,939 9,106 8,779 8,995 8,223 8,812 MS : 18,863 18,926 *18,879 18,877 18,999 18,266 NC : 19,419 19,609 *19,617 19,587 *19,604 19,326 OK : 6,135 6,368 6,580 6,682 6,252 6,655 PA : 4,290 4,265 4,198 *4,323 *4,202 4,148 SC : 5,436 5,391 5,611 5,406 5,420 5,371 TX : 15,732 *15,697 *15,588 *15,076 *15,346 14,656 VA : 6,350 6,269 *6,174 6,164 6,211 6,369 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 19,890 20,139 20,224 20,107 *19,433 19,567 : 19 State Total :*214,627 *216,972 *215,696 *215,887 *213,136 213,567 : Previous Year Total : 216,513 218,877 219,385 220,515 218,515 218,353 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 99 98 98 98 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Mar 29 : Apr 5 : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : May 3 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 22,103 21,853 21,303 21,674 20,738 21,517 AR : 23,655 23,914 23,233 22,047 *23,316 23,873 DE : 5,203 4,902 4,804 4,867 4,584 4,851 FL : 1,353 1,291 1,333 1,191 1,255 1,145 GA : *29,045 *28,995 28,232 28,784 29,038 27,781 KY : 5,929 6,229 6,054 *6,569 *6,679 6,515 LA : 3,730 3,715 3,726 3,607 3,344 3,784 MD : 5,561 6,917 6,095 6,590 7,121 6,258 MS : 17,262 17,340 17,375 17,291 17,359 17,060 NC : 16,196 16,072 15,997 15,649 *16,128 16,478 OK : 4,913 5,173 5,632 4,964 5,213 4,447 PA : 3,215 3,435 3,352 *3,270 *3,323 3,207 SC : 4,877 5,159 4,776 4,418 4,434 5,151 TX : 13,573 *13,121 *13,022 *13,108 *12,730 13,324 VA : 5,448 5,069 5,720 5,021 4,767 4,860 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 18,309 17,846 17,035 18,143 *18,127 16,983 : 19 State Total :*180,372 *181,031 *177,689 *177,193 *178,156 177,234 : Previous Year Total : 176,014 177,141 177,312 177,686 180,188 180,084 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 102 102 100 100 99 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised