Pou 2-2 (10-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 29, 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 190 million eggs in incubators during the week ending October 25, 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 83 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Down 12 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 154 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 25, 2008. Placements were down 12 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through October 25, 2008 were 7.51 billion, down 1 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : Oct 11 : Oct 18 : Oct 25 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 28,226 28,749 *27,445 27,403 27,081 27,211 AR : 23,132 24,133 21,817 23,722 *22,236 22,096 DE : 3,257 3,255 3,417 3,294 3,189 3,048 FL : 1,151 1,229 1,229 1,151 1,165 1,227 GA : 31,070 32,187 *29,784 30,650 29,525 29,302 KY : 6,631 *7,891 *7,129 7,420 *7,182 7,397 LA : 3,501 3,183 *3,073 3,470 3,152 2,740 MD : 7,825 8,760 7,556 7,877 7,964 8,560 MS : 18,290 15,909 16,698 17,573 16,295 16,829 NC : 17,731 18,397 *16,954 16,849 17,758 18,227 OK : 7,045 7,049 *6,913 6,942 6,954 6,973 PA : 3,569 3,959 4,034 4,210 *3,590 3,727 SC : 5,755 5,403 4,693 5,359 5,527 5,526 TX : 13,298 13,997 14,406 14,714 14,101 13,800 VA : 5,779 6,140 5,691 6,156 5,815 6,013 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,288 18,519 *17,742 18,220 *17,831 17,676 : 19 State Total : 193,548 *198,760 *188,581 195,010 *189,365 190,352 : Previous Year Total : 212,015 207,513 213,532 208,741 202,695 201,890 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 91 96 88 93 93 94 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Sep 20 : Sep 27 : Oct 4 : Oct 11 : Oct 18 : Oct 25 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 20,194 20,458 19,911 *18,916 20,140 19,224 AR : 24,134 22,051 20,901 20,824 *21,236 19,683 DE : 4,722 4,295 3,865 4,233 4,927 4,389 FL : 1,010 980 1,033 1,020 1,043 1,035 GA : 26,583 26,557 25,898 26,012 26,370 24,488 KY : 5,513 6,020 5,873 5,130 *6,321 5,589 LA : 3,431 3,260 *3,082 3,204 3,253 3,078 MD : 5,239 5,025 5,683 5,126 5,115 4,754 MS : 16,007 15,503 15,753 16,258 13,969 14,501 NC : 15,628 14,652 14,321 14,592 14,746 14,111 OK : 3,400 5,080 5,433 3,715 5,381 4,752 PA : 3,291 3,260 3,450 2,902 *3,082 3,169 SC : 5,023 5,131 4,518 4,986 5,077 4,045 TX : 12,505 12,796 12,333 11,183 11,832 12,117 VA : 5,643 5,374 5,009 5,007 5,267 4,310 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 15,743 15,284 15,398 16,913 14,940 15,252 : 19 State Total : 168,066 165,726 *162,461 *160,021 *162,699 154,497 : Previous Year Total : 175,642 171,244 168,385 173,217 169,336 174,787 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 96 97 96 92 96 88 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised