Pou 2-2 (9-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released September 24, 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 8 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 195 million eggs in incubators during the week ending September 20, 2008. This was down 8 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 4 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 168 million chicks for meat production during the week ending September 20, 2008. Placements were down 4 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through September 20, 2008 were 6.70 billion, down slightly 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 16 : Aug 23 : Aug 30 : Sep 6 : Sep 13 : Sep 20 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 29,922 *29,744 *29,920 29,746 *28,812 28,833 AR : 24,608 24,742 24,697 24,479 23,930 23,057 DE : 3,631 3,544 3,494 3,479 3,310 3,257 FL : 1,346 1,306 *1,306 1,326 1,151 1,091 GA : 32,822 *32,909 32,860 32,032 30,895 30,930 KY : 7,744 7,711 *7,656 7,452 *7,640 7,496 LA : 3,470 3,501 3,501 3,501 3,501 3,501 MD : 8,871 8,738 8,696 7,578 7,894 7,825 MS : 18,160 18,428 17,853 17,666 17,770 17,912 NC : 18,967 18,968 *19,130 18,546 17,695 18,231 OK : 7,168 6,940 *6,969 6,920 7,018 6,893 PA : 4,002 3,850 4,396 *4,082 *4,028 3,919 SC : 5,645 5,735 5,844 5,208 5,709 5,755 TX : 15,466 15,475 14,913 15,271 *15,094 13,312 VA : 6,325 6,313 6,249 6,294 6,021 5,779 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 18,852 18,816 *17,444 18,230 *17,842 17,281 : 19 State Total : 206,999 *206,720 *204,928 *201,810 *198,310 195,072 : Previous Year Total : 216,594 215,662 215,502 208,821 205,863 212,015 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 96 96 95 97 96 92 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Aug 16 : Aug 23 : Aug 30 : Sep 6 : Sep 13 : Sep 20 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,432 20,609 20,496 21,188 21,212 20,194 AR : 23,301 22,221 21,575 22,352 *21,646 24,137 DE : 5,213 4,978 5,131 4,977 4,870 4,722 FL : 1,032 1,124 1,278 1,051 1,004 1,010 GA : 27,560 27,700 27,317 26,821 27,100 26,583 KY : 6,533 6,240 6,708 6,811 *6,314 5,530 LA : 3,269 3,659 3,521 3,243 3,425 3,431 MD : 5,933 5,897 5,950 5,519 6,117 5,239 MS : 16,815 16,632 16,751 16,258 16,576 16,007 NC : 15,741 15,620 15,883 15,655 15,817 15,623 OK : 3,618 4,539 5,076 5,050 5,478 3,400 PA : 3,414 3,207 3,128 *3,083 *3,101 3,278 SC : 4,676 4,333 4,624 5,130 *4,541 5,023 TX : 12,497 12,322 12,560 12,925 *13,006 12,490 VA : 5,283 5,592 4,525 4,720 4,657 5,643 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 16,860 *16,204 15,638 15,056 *15,726 15,744 : 19 State Total : 173,177 *170,877 170,161 *169,839 *170,590 168,054 : Previous Year Total : 178,515 177,243 176,942 175,893 175,527 175,642 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 97 96 96 97 97 96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised