Broiler Hatchery ISSN: 1949-1840 Released April 18, 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 199 million eggs in incubators during the week ending April 14, 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 5 Percent Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program placed 164 million chicks for meat production during the week ending April 14, 2012. Placements were down 5 percent from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 1, 2012 through April 14, 2012 were 2.44 billion, down 4 percent from the same period a year earlier. Broiler-Type Eggs Set - 19 Selected States: 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : March 10, : March 17, : March 24, : March 31, : April 7, : April 14, : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 27,476 28,269 28,083 27,319 27,989 27,854 Arkansas .....................: 21,148 20,142 20,771 21,178 21,240 21,233 Delaware .....................: 3,303 3,415 3,388 3,517 3,506 3,550 Florida ......................: 1,350 1,351 1,348 1,350 1,349 1,352 Georgia ......................: 32,374 32,249 31,890 32,796 32,564 32,536 Kentucky .....................: 7,794 7,723 7,429 7,675 7,709 7,626 Louisiana ....................: 3,440 3,470 3,440 3,500 3,500 3,500 Maryland .....................: 7,674 7,678 7,192 7,000 7,128 7,393 Mississippi ..................: 17,682 17,784 17,907 17,907 17,878 17,717 Missouri .....................: 7,648 7,482 7,657 7,464 7,701 7,686 : North Carolina ...............: 20,342 19,969 20,031 20,077 20,381 20,556 Oklahoma .....................: 6,930 6,365 6,728 6,930 6,910 6,688 Pennsylvania .................: 3,838 3,859 3,771 3,576 3,754 3,586 South Carolina ...............: 5,472 5,118 5,448 5,385 5,488 5,364 Texas ........................: 15,026 15,075 14,941 14,933 14,972 14,816 Virginia .....................: 6,207 6,137 5,950 6,311 6,415 6,166 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ...........: 11,035 11,413 10,526 10,783 10,668 11,450 : 19 State total ...............: 198,739 197,499 196,500 197,701 199,152 199,073 : Previous year total ..........: 207,931 208,714 209,434 207,520 207,969 208,968 : Percent of previous year .....: 96 95 94 95 96 95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States: 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : March 10, : March 17, : March 24, : March 31, : April 7, : April 14, : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 : 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 19,382 20,106 19,610 20,335 20,595 20,546 Arkansas .....................: 18,611 19,004 20,043 20,359 18,964 19,564 Delaware .....................: 3,910 3,901 4,043 3,724 4,760 4,647 Florida ......................: 1,174 1,407 1,217 1,016 1,233 1,289 Georgia ......................: 28,332 27,862 27,284 27,233 28,079 26,180 Kentucky .....................: 6,595 4,894 6,594 6,214 5,964 6,185 Louisiana ....................: 3,022 2,983 3,032 3,025 3,356 3,059 Maryland .....................: 6,441 6,110 5,927 7,020 5,488 5,915 Mississippi ..................: 15,328 15,447 15,207 15,136 15,282 15,444 Missouri .....................: 6,020 5,325 5,245 5,548 5,413 5,972 : North Carolina ...............: 15,816 16,753 16,294 16,870 16,127 16,163 Oklahoma .....................: 4,014 4,605 4,533 3,813 4,123 3,662 Pennsylvania .................: 2,870 3,117 3,113 3,144 3,103 2,957 South Carolina ...............: 4,230 3,646 4,696 4,218 4,096 4,919 Texas ........................: 12,347 12,223 12,143 12,524 12,235 12,723 Virginia .....................: 4,739 4,784 5,365 4,735 4,592 4,824 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ...........: 9,883 10,845 10,359 10,859 11,778 10,176 : 19 State total ...............: 162,714 163,012 164,705 165,773 165,188 164,225 : Previous year total ..........: 170,304 170,422 172,880 171,899 172,098 173,110 : Percent of previous year .....: 96 96 95 96 96 95 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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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