Pou 2-2 (12-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 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 7 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 203 million eggs in incubators during the week ending December 20, 2008. This was down 7 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 6 Percent Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 168 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 20, 2008. Placements were down 6 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through December 13, 2008 were 8.79 billion, down 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 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 15 : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 28,744 29,439 *29,100 29,121 29,448 28,707 AR : 25,038 24,891 *24,692 23,357 24,769 24,266 DE : 3,375 3,370 3,272 3,314 3,274 3,294 FL : 1,269 1,282 *1,284 1,241 1,256 1,013 GA : 31,090 31,989 *32,495 31,191 *32,448 32,749 KY : 7,608 7,914 7,984 7,785 7,538 7,704 LA : 3,440 3,307 3,419 *3,424 *3,424 3,424 MD : 8,428 8,959 8,675 8,672 8,512 8,911 MS : 17,629 17,400 *17,478 17,840 17,621 17,194 NC : 18,191 18,572 *18,811 18,312 19,008 18,739 OK : 7,108 6,285 *6,937 6,556 6,795 6,922 PA : 4,041 4,232 4,276 4,159 *4,346 4,031 SC : 5,761 5,443 5,817 5,409 5,570 5,485 TX : 15,013 15,297 15,277 15,278 *15,265 15,286 VA : 6,174 6,185 *6,193 5,961 6,149 5,964 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 19,250 19,100 19,030 *18,680 *19,007 19,647 : 19 State Total : 202,159 203,665 *204,740 *200,300 *204,430 203,336 : Previous Year Total : 215,925 219,089 221,543 214,382 217,613 218,612 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 94 93 92 93 94 93 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 15 : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,550 18,125 18,394 20,151 20,849 19,913 AR : 19,499 20,357 20,401 22,298 21,173 20,812 DE : 3,973 3,919 4,546 4,593 4,305 5,086 FL : 880 987 1,083 996 987 1,220 GA : 25,109 23,818 24,104 25,808 *26,559 27,123 KY : 5,650 5,734 5,587 5,972 6,388 6,065 LA : 2,818 3,257 2,939 3,398 3,326 3,228 MD : 5,284 5,744 5,774 4,913 6,094 5,138 MS : 15,169 13,611 *15,718 15,707 15,672 15,501 NC : 14,932 15,002 15,622 15,494 15,274 15,737 OK : 4,187 *4,444 4,499 3,727 4,465 5,545 PA : 2,637 3,063 3,009 3,197 *3,218 3,355 SC : 5,051 4,733 4,892 4,529 4,818 5,058 TX : 11,764 11,100 12,986 12,752 12,922 12,990 VA : 5,015 4,220 3,891 5,636 5,225 4,952 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 15,590 14,300 15,986 *17,024 *16,624 16,622 : 19 State Total : 156,108 *152,414 *159,431 *166,195 *167,899 168,345 : Previous Year Total : 163,792 168,349 177,182 175,854 178,626 179,381 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 95 91 90 95 94 94 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised