Pou 2-2 (5-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released May 21, 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 1 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 217 million eggs in incubators during the week ending May 17, 2008. This was down 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 Down 2 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 175 million chicks for meat production during the week ending May 17, 2008. Placements were down 2 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through May 17, 2008 were 3.56 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : May 3 : May 10 : May 17 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 31,687 31,966 *32,212 31,637 31,858 32,089 AR : 27,171 26,532 27,071 27,317 *26,611 27,150 DE : 4,027 3,942 3,721 3,721 3,718 3,726 FL : 1,413 1,327 *1,331 1,346 1,336 1,331 GA : 34,137 34,651 33,997 34,630 *34,053 34,854 KY : 7,899 7,925 *7,255 8,034 8,124 8,125 LA : 3,712 3,712 3,712 3,712 3,712 3,650 MD : 8,779 8,995 8,223 8,812 8,840 8,791 MS : 18,879 18,877 18,999 18,266 18,893 19,060 NC : 19,617 19,533 *19,475 19,355 *19,631 19,711 OK : 6,580 *6,578 *6,353 6,655 *6,782 6,859 PA : 4,318 4,400 4,193 4,188 *4,323 4,266 SC : 5,611 5,554 5,420 5,371 5,491 5,718 TX : 15,588 15,076 15,346 14,656 14,846 15,477 VA : 6,174 5,791 6,211 6,369 5,939 6,427 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 20,333 19,966 *19,700 *19,641 *19,640 20,205 : 19 State Total : 215,925 *214,825 *213,219 *213,710 *213,797 217,439 : Previous Year Total : 219,385 220,515 218,515 218,353 219,938 219,928 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 98 97 98 98 97 99 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Apr 12 : Apr 19 : Apr 26 : May 3 : May 10 : May 17 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,303 21,674 20,738 21,475 21,111 21,200 AR : 23,233 22,047 23,316 23,873 *22,589 22,624 DE : 4,804 4,867 4,584 4,851 5,746 4,625 FL : 1,333 1,191 1,255 1,145 1,271 1,138 GA : 28,232 28,784 29,038 27,781 *28,571 28,094 KY : *5,953 *6,467 *6,793 6,730 6,248 5,434 LA : 3,726 3,607 3,344 3,784 3,147 3,634 MD : 6,095 6,590 7,121 6,258 6,021 5,337 MS : 17,375 17,291 17,359 17,060 17,145 17,383 NC : 15,997 15,649 16,128 16,510 *16,014 16,120 OK : 5,632 4,964 5,213 4,447 5,430 5,395 PA : *3,352 *3,277 *3,254 *3,243 *3,272 3,318 SC : 4,776 4,418 4,434 5,151 4,812 4,997 TX : 13,022 13,108 12,730 13,324 12,709 12,859 VA : 5,720 5,021 4,767 4,860 4,077 5,302 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,060 18,201 18,143 *17,050 *18,442 18,014 : 19 State Total :*177,613 *177,156 *178,217 *177,542 *176,605 175,474 : Previous Year Total : 177,312 177,686 180,188 180,084 180,594 178,545 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 100 100 99 99 98 98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised