ISSN: 1949-1840 Released August 12, 2015, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Hatcheries in the United States weekly program set 214 million eggs in incubators during the week ending August 8, 2015, up slightly from a year ago. Hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 206 million eggs in incubators during the week ending August 8, 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 Up 1 Percent Broiler growers in the United States weekly program placed 177 million chicks for meat production during the week ending August 8, 2015, up 1 percent from a year ago. Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program placed 171 million chicks for meat production during the week ending August 8, 2015, up 1 percent from the year earlier. Cumulative placements from the week ending January 10, 2015 through August 8, 2015 for the United States were 5.49 billion. Cumulative placements were up 3 percent from the same period a year earlier. Broiler-Type Eggs Set - 19 Selected States and United States: 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : July 4, : July 11, : July 18, : July 25, : August 1, : August 8, : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 29,276 29,164 29,258 29,618 29,166 29,115 Arkansas .....................: 20,751 21,680 21,672 21,797 21,474 22,081 Delaware .....................: 4,754 4,755 4,755 4,753 4,753 4,753 Florida ......................: 1,188 1,224 1,223 1,182 1,225 1,222 Georgia ......................: 33,688 33,959 34,227 34,365 34,039 33,003 Kentucky .....................: 7,907 7,976 7,978 8,051 7,963 7,801 Louisiana ....................: 3,818 3,802 3,772 3,772 3,772 3,772 Maryland .....................: 7,314 8,053 7,622 7,985 7,988 7,916 Mississippi ..................: 17,896 18,058 17,550 17,359 17,794 17,286 Missouri .....................: 8,372 7,316 8,264 8,275 8,246 8,164 : North Carolina ...............: 21,113 21,243 21,378 20,796 21,193 21,140 Oklahoma .....................: 6,722 6,699 6,779 6,696 6,613 6,558 Pennsylvania .................: 4,736 4,571 4,475 4,569 4,518 4,553 South Carolina ...............: 5,515 5,502 5,597 5,698 5,399 5,466 Texas ........................: 15,293 15,044 14,689 14,454 14,270 14,925 Virginia .....................: 6,412 6,417 6,377 6,393 6,324 6,130 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ...........: 11,969 12,340 12,293 11,918 12,048 12,101 : 19 State total ...............: 206,724 207,803 207,909 207,681 206,785 205,986 Percent of previous year .....: 101 100 100 101 100 100 : Other States .................: 8,046 8,077 7,651 7,825 7,951 8,053 : United States ................: 214,770 215,880 215,560 215,506 214,736 214,039 Percent of previous year .....: 101 100 100 101 100 100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States and United States: 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : July 4, : July 11, : July 18, : July 25, : August 1, : August 8, : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 21,928 22,124 21,578 22,088 22,192 22,168 Arkansas .....................: 20,263 19,850 18,923 20,235 18,983 19,107 Delaware .....................: 5,527 4,782 5,321 5,173 6,014 5,183 Florida ......................: 1,358 1,441 1,249 1,269 1,158 1,163 Georgia ......................: 26,968 27,698 27,722 26,910 26,991 27,488 Kentucky .....................: 6,163 6,250 6,478 6,132 5,948 6,559 Louisiana ....................: 3,419 3,266 3,403 3,369 3,313 3,297 Maryland .....................: 6,166 7,273 6,267 5,534 5,307 5,918 Mississippi ..................: 14,808 14,609 15,029 14,972 15,078 14,639 Missouri .....................: 6,081 6,423 5,900 5,843 5,450 6,198 : North Carolina ...............: 17,046 16,888 17,254 16,795 16,968 17,063 Oklahoma .....................: 4,135 4,141 5,049 3,711 4,903 4,779 Pennsylvania .................: 3,792 3,819 4,036 3,804 3,706 3,694 South Carolina ...............: 5,177 4,613 5,062 5,104 5,066 4,606 Texas ........................: 12,355 12,239 12,650 12,526 12,507 12,166 Virginia .....................: 5,228 5,265 5,366 6,054 5,464 5,469 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ...........: 11,830 12,052 10,676 10,696 12,094 11,179 : 19 State total ...............: 172,244 172,733 171,963 170,215 171,142 170,676 Percent of previous year .....: 103 102 103 102 101 101 : Other States .................: 6,656 6,363 6,472 6,660 6,614 6,191 : United States ................: 178,900 179,096 178,435 176,875 177,756 176,867 Percent of previous year .....: 103 102 103 102 101 101 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 [email protected] Dan Kerestes, Chief, Livestock Branch ........................................................ (202) 720-3570 Bruce Boess, Head, Poultry and Specialty Commodities Section ................................. (202) 720-4447 Alissa Cowell-Mytar - Cold Storage ........................................................ (202) 720-4751 Heidi Gleich - Broiler Hatchery, Chicken Hatchery ......................................... (202) 720-0585 Michael Klamm - Poultry Slaughter ......................................................... (202) 720-3040 Tom Kruchten - Census of Aquaculture ...................................................... (202) 690-4870 Kim Linonis - Layers, Eggs ................................................................ (202) 690-8632 Sammy Neal - Catfish Production, Egg Products, Mink, Trout Production, Turkey Hatchery, Turkeys Raised ......................................................................... (202) 720-3244 Joshua O'Rear - Honey ..................................................................... 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