Broiler Hatchery ISSN: 1949-1840 Released January 11, 2012, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Broiler-Type Eggs Set Down 6 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 193 million eggs in incubators during the week ending January 7, 2012. This was down 6 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 85 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler-Type Chicks Placed Down 4 Percent Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program placed 162 million chicks for meat production during the week ending January 7, 2012. Placements were down 4 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Broiler-Type Eggs Set - 19 Selected States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : December 3, :December 10, :December 17, :December 24, :December 31, : January 7, : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 27,771 28,093 27,904 27,533 27,549 27,126 Arkansas .....................: 20,074 20,174 20,038 20,121 20,287 20,082 Delaware .....................: 3,127 3,127 3,124 3,126 3,232 3,265 Florida ......................: 1,346 1,352 1,351 1,349 1,347 1,351 Georgia ......................: 31,993 31,595 31,846 31,679 31,839 31,430 Kentucky .....................: 7,542 7,593 7,715 7,499 7,550 7,635 Louisiana ....................: 3,364 3,364 3,409 3,364 3,348 3,364 Maryland .....................: 7,275 7,322 7,121 7,483 7,447 7,364 Mississippi ..................: 18,229 18,100 18,337 18,266 17,763 17,573 Missouri .....................: 8,052 7,931 7,941 7,945 7,433 7,853 : North Carolina ...............: 20,019 19,768 19,707 19,767 19,927 19,772 Oklahoma .....................: 6,401 6,721 6,802 6,710 6,268 6,585 Pennsylvania .................: 3,854 3,756 3,927 3,769 3,812 3,818 South Carolina ...............: 5,048 5,200 5,509 5,362 5,164 5,250 Texas ........................: 14,237 14,330 14,353 13,711 13,887 14,089 Virginia .....................: 5,660 6,045 5,813 6,041 5,909 5,694 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,673 10,939 10,190 11,126 10,709 10,619 : 19 State total ...............: 194,665 195,410 195,087 194,851 193,471 192,870 : Previous year total ..........: 203,973 205,282 205,187 205,240 203,224 205,419 : Percent of previous year .....: 95 95 95 95 95 94 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : December 3, :December 10, :December 17, :December 24, :December 31, : January 7, : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 19,231 20,541 19,985 20,588 20,811 20,143 Arkansas .....................: 20,749 19,633 19,201 19,333 20,378 19,296 Delaware .....................: 4,303 3,501 4,439 3,355 4,385 3,952 Florida ......................: 1,299 1,052 1,073 964 1,160 1,160 Georgia ......................: 25,259 26,653 27,411 27,617 26,832 27,027 Kentucky .....................: 5,972 6,610 5,558 6,015 6,378 6,098 Louisiana ....................: 2,920 2,992 2,955 2,972 2,943 2,987 Maryland .....................: 6,729 6,825 6,261 6,667 5,968 5,474 Mississippi ..................: 14,971 15,595 15,133 15,590 15,407 15,527 Missouri .....................: 5,183 5,628 5,895 5,734 5,004 5,554 : North Carolina ...............: 16,108 15,557 15,239 15,729 15,697 15,496 Oklahoma .....................: 3,286 4,068 4,172 4,264 3,746 4,042 Pennsylvania .................: 3,096 3,113 3,114 3,196 3,134 3,275 South Carolina ...............: 4,660 4,323 4,565 4,183 4,115 4,828 Texas ........................: 11,931 12,072 12,138 11,667 11,848 11,941 Virginia .....................: 4,281 4,699 4,571 4,624 4,710 5,698 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 11,509 10,428 10,821 10,689 10,339 9,569 : 19 State total ...............: 161,487 163,290 162,531 163,187 162,855 162,067 : Previous year total ..........: 168,395 169,211 170,078 168,134 168,813 168,417 : Percent of previous year .....: 96 97 96 97 96 96 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Statistical Methodology Survey Procedures: Data for broiler hatchery estimates are collected weekly from all chicken hatcheries within the 19 States that hatch at least one million chicks a year. The 19 States account for approximately 97 percent of the broilers produced on an annual basis. Individual NASS field offices maintain a list of all known hatcheries and update their lists on a continual basis. All hatcheries within the 19 States that meet the minimum size criteria are given adequate time to respond to the weekly survey. Those that do not respond are contacted by telephone. Estimating Procedures: All data are analyzed for unusual values. Data from each operation are compared to their own past operating profile and to trends from similar operations. Data for missing operations are estimated based on similar operations or historical data. NASS field offices prepare these estimates by using a combination of survey indications and historic trends. Individual State estimates are reviewed by the Agricultural Statistics Board for reasonableness. Individual hatchery data are summed to State and 19 State totals. Revision Policy: Revisions are generally the result of late or corrected data. Revisions made to the previous five-week's data during the current week are published in this report. Final estimates are published in the annual Hatchery Production Summary released in April. Reliability: Estimates are subject to errors such as omission, duplication, and mistakes in reporting, recording, and processing the data. While these errors cannot be measured directly, they are minimized through strict quality controls in the data collection process and a careful review of all reported data for consistency and reasonableness. Information Contacts Listed below are the commodity specialists in the Livestock Branch of the National Agricultural Statistics Service to contact for additional information. E-mail inquiries may be sent to nass@nass.usda.gov Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch ......................................................... (202) 720-3570 Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section .................................. (202) 720-4447 Cody Brokmeyer - Honey, Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised ................. (202) 690-3237 David Colwell - Cold Storage ............................................................... (202) 720-8784 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs ................................................................. (202) 690-8632 Miste Salmon - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery, Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Egg Products, Mink .. (202) 720-3244 Access to NASS Reports For your convenience, you may access NASS reports and products the following ways: All reports are available electronically, at no cost, on the NASS web site: http://www.nass.usda.gov Both national and state specific reports are available via a free e- mail subscription. 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