Broiler Hatchery ISSN: 1949-1840 Released January 18, 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 192 million eggs in incubators during the week ending January 14, 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 14, 2012. Placements were down 4 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 1, 2012 through January 14, 2012 were 324 million, down 4 percent from the same period a year earlier. Broiler-Type Eggs Set - 19 Selected States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :December 10, :December 17, :December 24, :December 31, : January 7, : January 14, : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 28,093 27,904 27,704 27,549 27,127 26,905 Arkansas .....................: 20,174 20,038 20,121 20,287 20,082 20,085 Delaware .....................: 3,127 3,124 3,126 3,232 3,265 3,257 Florida ......................: 1,352 1,351 1,349 1,347 1,351 1,351 Georgia ......................: 31,595 31,846 31,679 31,839 31,430 31,350 Kentucky .....................: 7,556 7,716 7,568 7,550 7,635 7,571 Louisiana ....................: 3,364 3,409 3,333 3,348 3,364 3,379 Maryland .....................: 7,322 7,121 7,483 7,447 7,364 7,098 Mississippi ..................: 18,100 18,337 18,266 17,763 17,573 17,475 Missouri .....................: 7,931 7,941 7,945 7,433 7,853 7,623 : North Carolina ...............: 19,768 19,707 20,094 19,927 19,772 20,010 Oklahoma .....................: 6,721 6,802 6,710 6,268 6,585 6,787 Pennsylvania .................: 3,756 3,927 3,769 3,812 3,662 3,785 South Carolina ...............: 5,200 5,509 5,362 5,164 5,250 5,348 Texas ........................: 14,330 14,353 14,054 13,887 14,089 13,652 Virginia .....................: 6,045 5,813 6,041 5,909 5,694 5,939 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,939 10,190 11,126 10,709 10,619 10,814 : 19 State total ...............: 195,373 195,088 195,730 193,471 192,715 192,429 : Previous year total ..........: 205,282 205,187 205,240 203,224 205,419 205,099 : Percent of previous year .....: 95 95 95 95 94 94 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :December 10, :December 17, :December 24, :December 31, : January 7, : January 14, : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 20,541 19,985 20,588 20,811 20,132 19,899 Arkansas .....................: 19,633 19,201 19,333 20,378 19,296 18,017 Delaware .....................: 3,501 4,439 3,355 4,385 3,952 4,220 Florida ......................: 1,052 1,073 964 1,160 1,160 1,166 Georgia ......................: 26,653 27,411 27,617 26,917 26,997 27,329 Kentucky .....................: 6,610 5,558 6,015 6,378 6,098 6,021 Louisiana ....................: 2,992 2,955 2,972 2,943 2,987 2,992 Maryland .....................: 6,825 6,261 6,667 5,968 5,474 5,213 Mississippi ..................: 15,595 15,133 15,590 15,407 15,542 15,610 Missouri .....................: 5,628 5,895 5,734 5,004 5,554 6,087 : North Carolina ...............: 15,557 15,239 15,729 15,635 15,439 15,812 Oklahoma .....................: 4,068 4,172 4,264 3,746 4,042 4,693 Pennsylvania .................: 3,113 3,114 3,196 3,134 3,196 3,290 South Carolina ...............: 4,323 4,565 4,183 4,115 4,828 4,435 Texas ........................: 12,072 12,138 11,667 11,848 11,941 11,772 Virginia .....................: 4,699 4,571 4,624 4,710 5,698 4,693 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,428 10,821 10,689 10,339 9,569 10,872 : 19 State total ...............: 163,290 162,531 163,187 162,878 161,905 162,121 : Previous year total ..........: 169,211 170,078 168,134 168,813 168,417 168,220 : Percent of previous year .....: 97 96 97 96 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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