Broiler Hatchery ISSN: 1949-1840 Released February 1, 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 195 million eggs in incubators during the week ending January 28, 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 28, 2012. Placements were down 4 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 1, 2012 through January 28, 2012 were 647 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 24, :December 31, : January 7, : January 14, : January 21, : January 28, : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 27,704 27,562 28,078 27,839 28,025 27,963 Arkansas .....................: 20,121 20,187 20,082 20,085 20,073 20,235 Delaware .....................: 3,126 3,232 3,265 3,261 3,262 3,262 Florida ......................: 1,349 1,347 1,351 1,351 1,353 1,352 Georgia ......................: 31,736 31,839 31,430 31,386 31,148 31,630 Kentucky .....................: 7,648 7,634 7,626 7,571 7,643 7,389 Louisiana ....................: 3,333 3,348 3,364 3,379 3,440 3,424 Maryland .....................: 7,483 7,447 7,364 7,098 7,669 7,216 Mississippi ..................: 18,266 17,763 17,573 17,475 18,111 18,185 Missouri .....................: 7,945 7,433 7,853 7,623 7,677 7,668 : North Carolina ...............: 20,094 19,927 19,760 20,010 19,988 19,952 Oklahoma .....................: 6,710 6,268 6,585 6,787 6,721 6,609 Pennsylvania .................: 3,769 3,812 3,662 3,875 3,849 3,785 South Carolina ...............: 5,362 5,164 5,250 5,348 5,363 5,156 Texas ........................: 14,054 13,887 14,316 13,652 14,249 14,322 Virginia .....................: 6,041 5,909 5,694 5,939 6,231 5,698 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 11,126 10,709 10,208 10,454 9,659 10,694 : 19 State total ...............: 195,867 193,468 193,461 193,133 194,461 194,540 : Previous year total ..........: 205,240 203,224 205,419 205,099 204,116 203,933 : Percent of previous year .....: 95 95 94 94 95 95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States: 2011 and 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :December 24, :December 31, : January 7, : January 14, : January 21, : January 28, : 2011 : 2011 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 20,588 20,811 20,132 19,898 20,265 20,287 Arkansas .....................: 19,333 20,378 19,296 18,012 18,621 19,924 Delaware .....................: 3,355 4,385 3,952 4,547 3,901 4,607 Florida ......................: 964 1,160 1,160 1,160 953 1,136 Georgia ......................: 27,617 26,917 26,997 27,346 26,950 26,830 Kentucky .....................: 6,015 6,378 6,098 6,021 5,990 6,540 Louisiana ....................: 2,972 2,943 2,987 2,992 2,995 3,010 Maryland .....................: 6,667 5,968 5,474 6,060 6,386 5,337 Mississippi ..................: 15,590 15,407 15,542 15,594 15,053 15,216 Missouri .....................: 5,734 5,004 5,554 6,087 4,913 5,036 : North Carolina ...............: 15,729 15,635 15,439 15,738 15,698 16,007 Oklahoma .....................: 4,264 3,746 4,042 4,693 4,691 3,928 Pennsylvania .................: 3,196 3,134 3,196 3,136 3,179 3,059 South Carolina ...............: 4,183 4,115 4,828 4,435 4,221 4,124 Texas ........................: 11,667 11,848 11,941 11,772 11,748 11,786 Virginia .....................: 4,624 4,710 5,698 4,693 4,844 4,785 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,689 10,339 9,589 10,881 10,619 9,693 : 19 State total ...............: 163,187 162,878 161,925 163,065 161,027 161,305 : Previous year total ..........: 168,134 168,813 168,417 168,220 167,507 168,493 : Percent of previous year .....: 97 96 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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