Pou 2-2 (12-08) Broiler Hatchery National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 31, 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 27, 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 166 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 27, 2008. Placements were down 6 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through December 27, 2008 were 8.96 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 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 29,439 29,100 *29,107 29,448 *28,700 28,941 AR : 24,891 24,692 *24,330 24,769 24,266 24,244 DE : 3,370 3,272 3,314 *3,338 *3,358 3,259 FL : 1,282 1,284 1,241 1,256 1,013 963 GA : 31,989 32,495 *31,381 32,448 32,749 32,669 KY : 7,914 7,984 *7,769 7,538 *7,867 7,512 LA : 3,307 3,419 3,424 3,424 3,424 3,411 MD : 8,959 8,675 8,672 8,512 8,911 8,749 MS : 17,400 17,478 *17,405 17,621 17,194 17,372 NC : 18,572 18,811 *18,321 19,008 18,739 18,581 OK : 6,285 6,937 *6,328 6,795 6,922 6,835 PA : 4,232 4,276 4,159 4,346 *4,281 3,801 SC : 5,443 5,817 5,409 5,570 5,485 5,673 TX : 15,297 15,277 15,278 15,265 15,286 15,485 VA : 6,185 6,193 5,961 6,149 5,964 5,958 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 19,100 19,030 18,680 19,007 *19,655 19,248 : 19 State Total : 203,665 204,740 *200,779 *204,494 *203,814 202,701 : Previous Year Total : 219,089 221,543 214,382 217,613 218,612 218,815 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 93 92 94 94 93 93 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : Nov 22 : Nov 29 : Dec 6 : Dec 13 : Dec 20 : Dec 27 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 18,125 18,394 20,151 20,849 *19,908 19,878 AR : 20,357 20,401 22,298 21,173 20,812 20,716 DE : 3,919 4,546 4,593 *4,183 *4,940 4,460 FL : 987 1,083 996 987 1,220 1,103 GA : 23,818 24,104 25,808 26,559 27,123 26,376 KY : 5,734 5,587 5,972 6,388 *6,028 6,041 LA : 3,257 2,939 3,398 3,326 3,228 3,287 MD : 5,744 5,774 4,913 *6,215 *5,288 5,747 MS : 13,611 15,718 15,707 15,672 15,501 15,463 NC : 15,002 15,622 15,494 15,274 *15,805 15,379 OK : 4,444 4,499 3,727 4,465 5,545 5,258 PA : 3,063 3,009 3,197 3,218 *3,339 3,332 SC : 4,733 4,892 4,529 4,818 5,058 5,071 TX : 11,100 12,986 12,752 12,922 12,990 12,824 VA : 4,220 3,891 5,636 5,225 4,952 4,515 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 14,300 15,986 17,024 16,624 *16,608 16,187 : 19 State Total : 152,414 159,431 166,195 *167,898 *168,345 165,637 : Previous Year Total : 168,349 177,182 175,854 178,626 179,381 175,417 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 91 90 95 94 94 94 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised