Pou 2-2 (10-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 22, 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 6 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 191 million eggs in incubators during the week ending October 18, 2008. This was down 6 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 163 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 18, 2008. Placements were down 4 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through October 18, 2008 were 7.35 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 13 : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : Oct 11 : Oct 18 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 28,812 28,226 *28,749 27,732 27,403 27,081 AR : 23,956 23,132 *24,133 21,817 *23,722 23,536 DE : 3,310 3,257 3,255 3,417 3,294 3,189 FL : 1,191 1,151 1,229 1,229 1,151 1,165 GA : 30,895 31,070 *32,187 29,759 *30,650 29,525 KY : 7,611 *6,631 *7,844 6,798 *7,420 7,315 LA : 3,501 3,501 3,183 3,501 3,470 3,152 MD : 7,894 7,825 8,760 7,556 7,877 7,964 MS : 17,770 18,290 *15,909 16,698 17,573 16,295 NC : 17,360 17,731 *18,397 16,891 16,849 17,758 OK : 7,242 7,045 *7,049 6,512 6,942 6,954 PA : 4,058 3,569 3,959 *4,034 *4,210 3,962 SC : 5,709 5,755 *5,403 4,693 5,359 5,527 TX : 14,644 13,298 13,997 14,406 14,714 14,101 VA : 6,021 5,779 6,140 5,691 6,156 5,815 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,876 17,288 18,519 17,698 *18,220 18,072 : 19 State Total : 197,850 *193,548 *198,713 *188,432 *195,010 191,411 : Previous Year Total : 205,863 212,015 207,513 213,532 208,741 202,695 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 96 91 96 88 93 94 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 13 : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : Oct 11 : Oct 18 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 21,212 20,194 20,458 *19,911 18,917 20,140 AR : 21,646 24,134 22,051 20,901 *20,824 21,727 DE : 4,870 4,722 4,295 3,865 4,233 4,927 FL : 1,004 1,010 980 1,033 1,020 1,043 GA : 27,100 26,583 26,557 25,898 *26,012 26,370 KY : 6,293 5,513 6,020 5,873 *5,130 6,275 LA : 3,425 3,431 3,260 3,215 3,204 3,253 MD : 6,117 5,239 5,025 5,683 5,126 5,115 MS : 16,576 16,007 15,503 15,753 16,258 13,969 NC : 15,817 15,628 14,652 14,321 14,592 14,746 OK : 5,478 3,400 5,080 5,433 3,715 5,381 PA : 3,094 3,291 3,260 *3,450 *2,902 3,129 SC : 4,541 5,023 5,131 4,518 4,986 5,077 TX : 13,021 12,505 12,796 12,333 11,183 11,832 VA : 4,657 5,643 5,374 5,009 5,007 5,267 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 15,765 15,743 15,284 15,398 *16,913 14,940 : 19 State Total : 170,616 168,066 165,726 *162,594 *160,022 163,191 : Previous Year Total : 175,527 175,642 171,244 168,385 173,217 169,336 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 97 96 97 97 92 96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised