Broiler Hatchery - Release

Broiler Hatchery
ISSN: 1949-1840

Released November 4, 2015, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA).

Broiler-Type Eggs Set in the United States Up Slightly
Hatcheries in the United States weekly program set 204 million eggs in incubators during the week ending October 31,
2015, up slightly from a year ago. Hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 197 million eggs in incubators during the
week ending October 31, 2015, up slightly from the year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week
in the United States was 84 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by
eggs set three weeks earlier.

Broiler-Type Chicks Placed in the United States Down 1 Percent
Broiler growers in the United States weekly program placed 167 million chicks for meat production during the week
ending October 31, 2015, down 1 percent from a year ago. Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program placed
161 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 31, 2015, down 2 percent from the year earlier.
Cumulative placements from the week ending January 10, 2015 through October 31, 2015 for the United States were
7.55 billion. Cumulative placements were up 2 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Broiler-Type Eggs Set – 19 Selected States and United States: 2015
Week ending
State

September 26,
2015

October 3,
2015

October 10,
2015

October 17,
2015

October 24,
2015

October 31,
2015

(1,000 eggs)

(1,000 eggs)

(1,000 eggs)

(1,000 eggs)

(1,000 eggs)

(1,000 eggs)

Alabama .............................................
Arkansas .............................................
Delaware ............................................
Florida .................................................
Georgia ...............................................
Kentucky .............................................
Louisiana ............................................
Maryland .............................................
Mississippi ..........................................
Missouri ..............................................

28,314
21,582
4,755
1,224
32,564
7,867
3,651
7,958
16,890
8,017

27,865
21,111
4,755
1,190
32,105
7,268
3,340
7,278
15,445
7,823

28,328
21,811
4,755
1,225
31,033
7,676
3,617
7,160
16,378
8,325

27,925
19,256
4,755
1,224
32,058
5,943
3,772
7,199
16,553
7,748

27,192
20,141
4,755
1,225
33,281
6,133
3,394
7,191
17,369
7,444

27,293
20,778
4,755
1,225
32,050
7,664
3,077
7,199
16,387
7,552

North Carolina .....................................
Oklahoma ...........................................
Pennsylvania ......................................
South Carolina ....................................
Texas ..................................................
Virginia ................................................
California, Tennessee,
and West Virginia ..............................

19,725
5,678
3,903
5,712
13,262
6,378

19,074
6,128
4,644
5,527
13,546
6,094

17,882
6,318
4,629
5,409
13,676
6,140

18,266
6,486
4,584
5,719
13,828
6,369

20,144
6,733
4,126
5,690
14,223
6,230

20,073
6,729
4,429
5,681
14,576
5,662

11,747

11,130

11,602

9,006

11,601

11,601

19 State total .......................................
Percent of previous year .....................

199,227
99

194,323
99

195,964
98

190,691
97

196,872
99

196,731
100

Other States ........................................

7,276

7,621

7,683

7,700

7,610

7,471

United States ......................................
Percent of previous year .....................

206,503
99

201,944
99

203,647
98

198,391
98

204,482
99

204,202
100

Broiler-Type Chicks Placed – 19 Selected States and United States: 2015
Week ending
State

September 26,
2015

October 3,
2015

October 10,
2015

October 17,
2015

October 24,
2015

October 31,
2015

(1,000 chicks)

(1,000 chicks)

(1,000 chicks)

(1,000 chicks)

(1,000 chicks)

(1,000 chicks)

Alabama .............................................
Arkansas .............................................
Delaware ............................................
Florida .................................................
Georgia ...............................................
Kentucky .............................................
Louisiana ............................................
Maryland .............................................
Mississippi ..........................................
Missouri ..............................................

20,671
20,025
4,871
1,236
26,684
6,555
3,151
5,803
13,704
6,232

21,228
19,921
5,161
1,138
26,938
6,265
3,502
5,535
14,642
6,306

20,574
17,630
6,471
907
26,532
5,490
3,512
4,047
13,538
6,065

21,365
19,061
4,609
1,221
25,694
6,437
3,231
6,272
14,207
6,147

20,365
17,250
4,421
1,259
25,936
5,947
2,684
5,383
12,613
6,110

20,914
18,170
5,102
1,152
24,176
5,888
3,178
5,902
13,725
6,353

North Carolina .....................................
Oklahoma ...........................................
Pennsylvania ......................................
South Carolina ....................................
Texas ..................................................
Virginia ................................................
California, Tennessee,
and West Virginia ..............................

15,366
4,210
3,751
5,128
11,283
5,847

14,579
4,082
4,115
5,337
11,853
4,886

15,014
2,314
4,022
5,121
11,415
5,457

16,465
3,295
3,340
5,470
11,471
5,780

15,787
5,061
3,919
4,138
11,295
6,282

15,168
5,574
3,795
4,642
10,899
4,900

10,101

8,851

7,978

10,041

9,993

11,293

19 State total .......................................
Percent of previous year .....................

164,618
100

164,339
100

156,087
96

164,106
99

158,443
99

160,831
98

Other States ........................................

6,811

6,525

5,981

6,150

5,799

6,373

United States ......................................
Percent of previous year .....................

171,429
100

170,864
100

162,068
96

170,256
99

164,242
99

167,204
99

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Broiler Hatchery (November 2015)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

Statistical Methodology
Survey Procedures: Data for broiler hatchery estimates are collected weekly from all broiler-type hatcheries that hatch at
least one million chicks a year. Individual NASS field offices maintain a list of all known hatcheries and update their lists
on a continual basis. All hatcheries 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. The weekly United States total for chicks placed includes
states receiving greater than 500,000 chicks annually for grow-out.
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, 19 State total, Other States, and the United States.
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
Aaron Cosgrove – Egg Products, Poultry Slaughter, Trout Production ................................................... (202) 690-3237
Alissa Cowell-Mytar – Cold Storage ....................................................................................................... (202) 720-4751
Heidi Gleich – Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery ................................................................................ (202) 720-0585
Tom Kruchten – Census of Aquaculture .................................................................................................. (202) 690-4870
Kim Linonis – Layers, Eggs ..................................................................................................................... (202) 690-8632
Sammy Neal – Catfish Production, Mink, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised ......................................... (202) 720-3244
Joshua O’Rear – Honey ............................................................................................................................ (202) 690-3676

Broiler Hatchery (November 2015)
USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service

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