Broiler Hatchery ISSN: 1949-1840 Released March 7, 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 197 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 3, 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 3 Percent Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program placed 163 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 3, 2012. Placements were down 3 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 1, 2012 through March 3, 2012 were 1.45 billion, down 4 percent from the same period a year earlier. Broiler-Type Eggs Set - 19 Selected States: 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : January 28, : February 4, :February 11, :February 18, :February 25, : March 3, : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 28,029 26,946 27,085 27,638 28,000 27,580 Arkansas .....................: 20,235 19,931 20,091 19,499 20,142 20,493 Delaware .....................: 3,258 3,265 3,188 3,191 3,190 3,191 Florida ......................: 1,352 1,352 1,352 1,243 1,353 1,350 Georgia ......................: 31,630 31,616 31,983 32,222 32,143 32,150 Kentucky .....................: 7,582 7,478 7,720 7,546 6,483 7,855 Louisiana ....................: 3,424 3,440 3,470 3,424 3,379 3,470 Maryland .....................: 7,216 6,874 7,484 7,067 7,204 7,212 Mississippi ..................: 17,662 17,623 17,832 17,663 17,814 17,799 Missouri .....................: 7,668 7,784 7,817 7,807 7,672 7,840 : North Carolina ...............: 19,741 20,207 20,310 20,143 20,325 20,397 Oklahoma .....................: 6,609 6,841 6,923 6,768 6,688 6,930 Pennsylvania .................: 3,831 3,649 3,539 3,497 3,714 3,719 South Carolina ...............: 5,156 5,318 5,282 5,404 5,296 5,291 Texas ........................: 14,345 14,410 15,025 14,904 14,693 14,720 Virginia .....................: 5,698 5,985 6,199 5,963 6,168 6,118 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 10,488 10,486 10,135 10,387 11,113 11,043 : 19 State total ...............: 193,924 193,205 195,435 194,366 195,377 197,158 : Previous year total ..........: 203,933 205,787 204,337 207,150 206,633 208,530 : Percent of previous year .....: 95 94 96 94 95 95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States: 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : January 28, : February 4, :February 11, :February 18, :February 25, : March 3, : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 20,298 19,955 19,445 21,845 18,833 18,747 Arkansas .....................: 19,924 20,438 18,219 19,111 19,144 19,498 Delaware .....................: 4,431 4,016 4,433 4,404 3,440 4,117 Florida ......................: 1,136 1,149 1,048 1,062 1,073 1,212 Georgia ......................: 27,019 26,053 27,384 25,271 27,868 27,441 Kentucky .....................: 6,646 6,181 6,544 6,008 5,662 6,628 Louisiana ....................: 3,010 3,023 3,062 3,068 3,092 3,091 Maryland .....................: 5,518 5,849 6,490 5,959 6,751 5,778 Mississippi ..................: 14,603 14,721 15,172 15,227 15,317 15,596 Missouri .....................: 5,034 4,934 5,755 5,674 4,613 5,566 : North Carolina ...............: 15,780 15,699 15,648 15,418 15,820 15,856 Oklahoma .....................: 3,943 3,220 4,755 4,003 5,026 4,125 Pennsylvania .................: 3,065 3,211 3,107 3,159 3,045 2,948 South Carolina ...............: 4,124 4,956 4,798 4,971 4,197 4,523 Texas ........................: 11,809 11,568 12,111 11,941 11,963 12,458 Virginia .....................: 4,785 5,164 4,607 4,096 4,547 5,368 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ............: 9,573 10,632 9,451 10,063 10,176 10,184 : 19 State total ...............: 160,698 160,769 162,029 161,280 160,567 163,136 : Previous year total ..........: 168,493 168,151 167,953 167,473 168,805 167,792 : Percent of previous year .....: 95 96 96 96 95 97 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 - Poultry Slaughter, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised .. (202) 690-3237 David Colwell - Cold Storage ......................................... (202) 720-8784 Lakeya Jones - Catfish Processing, Catfish Production, Trout Production, Census of Aquaculture, Honey, Egg Products, Mink .............. (202) 720-0585 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs ........................................... (202) 690-8632 Miste Salmon - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery .................... (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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