U.S. Broiler Hatchery Down on Week

WASHINGTON - Jul 2/08 - SNS -- Broiler hatchery activity in the United States Broiler was down from last week for the period ending for the week closing June 28, 2008, but managed a mixed performance versus year the previous year, reveals this week's USDA report.

Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly program set 211.0 million eggs in incubators during the week. This was up 0.5% from the eggs set the same week last year.

Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84%. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier. Broiler Chicks Placed Down Slightly Broiler growers in the 19-State weekly program placed 179 million chicks for meat production during the week ending June 28, 2008. Placements were down slightly from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 through June 28, 2008 were 4.64 billion, up 1% from the same period a year earlier. ******** Subscription Information To subscribe to NASS reports or to order single copies, call toll free, 1- 800-999-6779. You may write: ERS/NASS, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield, VA 22161. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : May 24 : May 31 : Jun 7 : Jun 14 : Jun 21 : Jun 28 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 32,510 32,731 32,740 31,511 31,350 29,705 AR : 27,244 27,203 26,918 26,331 26,337 26,609 DE : 3,717 3,721 3,718 3,630 3,647 3,495 FL : 1,336 1,346 *1,356 1,341 1,341 1,346 GA : 34,509 34,121 34,119 34,260 34,353 33,955 KY : *8,328 *8,194 8,171 7,568 *7,713 7,461 LA : 3,682 3,620 3,651 3,642 3,651 3,651 MD : 8,771 8,601 8,976 8,236 9,164 8,596 MS : 18,948 18,981 19,074 18,930 18,761 18,624 NC : 19,413 19,359 *19,169 19,108 19,089 18,949 OK : 7,243 7,191 *7,270 7,216 6,987 7,240 PA : 4,442 4,592 4,474 4,539 *4,550 4,581 SC : 5,556 5,490 5,769 5,260 5,317 5,539 TX : 15,485 15,690 15,778 15,899 15,920 15,778 VA : 6,257 6,242 6,199 6,476 6,315 6,306 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 19,723 19,840 20,058 *19,707 *19,592 19,171 : 217,164 216,922 217,440 213,654 214,087 211,006 : 219,527 218,990 219,184 217,590 216,287 210,141 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 99 99 98 99 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised Broiler Chicks Placed, 19 Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Week Ending State :----------------------------------------------------------- : May 24 : May 31 : Jun 7 : Jun 14 : Jun 21 : Jun 28 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 : 2008 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Thousand : AL : 22,280 21,497 22,140 22,327 22,049 21,866 AR : 25,035 23,748 23,671 24,314 *24,638 22,806 DE : 4,949 5,206 5,127 4,521 *4,675 4,982 FL : 1,136 1,383 1,146 1,136 1,224 1,216 GA : 28,981 28,993 29,052 28,012 28,951 29,261 KY : 6,158 6,071 6,492 *6,902 *6,441 6,850 LA : 3,474 3,683 3,794 3,742 3,755 3,632 MD : 6,008 5,602 5,939 6,308 *6,502 6,358 MS : 16,614 17,259 17,348 17,262 17,186 17,283 NC : 16,087 16,076 16,047 16,010 15,617 16,328 OK : 3,883 4,608 *4,801 4,917 3,810 5,109 PA : 3,261 3,191 3,278 3,414 *3,373 3,314 SC : 4,618 4,756 4,726 5,494 5,220 4,031 TX : 12,523 12,416 12,990 13,149 13,193 12,990 VA : 4,976 4,858 5,202 5,287 4,911 4,440 CA, MO, TN, & WV : 17,249 17,659 18,141 *16,595 *17,773 18,146 : 177,232 177,006 179,894 179,390 179,318 178,612 : 179,069 180,055 180,462 179,754 180,026 178,938 : Pct. of Prev. Year : 99 98 100 100 100 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Revised END OF REPORT!

Broiler growers placed 178.0 million chicks for meat production. Placements were unchanged from the comparable week a year earlier.

Subscribers can read the full text of the article by Clicking here