Broiler Hatchery ISSN: 1949-1840 Released January 25, 2012, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Broiler-Type Eggs Set Down 5 Percent Commercial hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 194 million eggs in incubators during the week ending January 21, 2012. This was down 5 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 161 million chicks for meat production during the week ending January 21, 2012. Placements were down 4 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 1, 2012 through January 21, 2012 were 486 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 17, :December 24, :December 31, : January 7, : January 14, : January 21, : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 27,904 27,704 27,562 27,127 26,905 27,092 Arkansas .....................: 20,038 20,121 20,187 20,082 20,085 20,073 Delaware .....................: 3,124 3,126 3,232 3,265 3,261 3,262 Florida ......................: 1,351 1,349 1,347 1,351 1,351 1,353 Georgia ......................: 31,846 31,736 31,839 31,430 31,386 31,148 Kentucky .....................: 7,716 7,648 7,619 7,635 7,571 7,643 Louisiana ....................: 3,409 3,333 3,348 3,364 3,379 3,440 Maryland .....................: 7,121 7,483 7,447 7,364 7,098 7,628 Mississippi ..................: 18,337 18,266 17,763 17,573 17,475 18,111 Missouri .....................: 7,941 7,945 7,433 7,853 7,623 7,677 : North Carolina ...............: 19,707 20,094 19,927 19,772 20,010 19,988 Oklahoma .....................: 6,802 6,710 6,268 6,585 6,787 6,721 Pennsylvania .................: 3,927 3,769 3,812 3,662 3,875 3,877 South Carolina ...............: 5,509 5,362 5,164 5,250 5,348 5,363 Texas ........................: 14,353 14,054 13,887 14,089 13,652 14,249 Virginia .....................: 5,813 6,041 5,909 5,694 5,939 6,231 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,190 11,126 10,709 10,208 10,454 9,659 : 19 State total ...............: 195,088 195,867 193,453 192,304 192,199 193,515 : Previous year total ..........: 205,187 205,240 203,224 205,419 205,099 204,116 : Percent of previous year .....: 95 95 95 94 94 95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :December 17, :December 24, :December 31, : January 7, : January 14, : January 21, : 2011 : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 19,985 20,588 20,811 20,132 19,898 20,269 Arkansas .....................: 19,201 19,333 20,378 19,296 18,012 18,621 Delaware .....................: 4,439 3,355 4,385 3,952 4,547 4,027 Florida ......................: 1,073 964 1,160 1,160 1,160 953 Georgia ......................: 27,411 27,617 26,917 26,997 27,346 26,950 Kentucky .....................: 5,558 6,015 6,378 6,098 6,021 5,990 Louisiana ....................: 2,955 2,972 2,943 2,987 2,992 2,995 Maryland .....................: 6,261 6,667 5,968 5,474 6,060 6,277 Mississippi ..................: 15,133 15,590 15,407 15,542 15,594 15,060 Missouri .....................: 5,895 5,734 5,004 5,554 6,087 4,913 : North Carolina ...............: 15,239 15,729 15,635 15,439 15,738 15,694 Oklahoma .....................: 4,172 4,264 3,746 4,042 4,693 4,599 Pennsylvania .................: 3,114 3,196 3,134 3,196 3,136 3,183 South Carolina ...............: 4,565 4,183 4,115 4,828 4,435 4,221 Texas ........................: 12,138 11,667 11,848 11,941 11,772 11,553 Virginia .....................: 4,571 4,624 4,710 5,698 4,693 4,844 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,821 10,689 10,339 9,589 10,881 10,619 : 19 State total ...............: 162,531 163,187 162,878 161,925 163,065 160,768 : Previous year total ..........: 170,078 168,134 168,813 168,417 168,220 167,507 : Percent of previous year .....: 96 97 96 96 97 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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