ISSN: 1949-1840 Released September 16, 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 Down Slightly Hatcheries in the United States weekly program set 208 million eggs in incubators during the week ending September 12, 2015, down slightly from a year ago. Hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 200 million eggs in incubators during the week ending September 12, 2015, down 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 174 million chicks for meat production during the week ending September 12, 2015, down 1 percent from a year ago. Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program placed 168 million chicks for meat production during the week ending September 12, 2015, down 1 percent from the year earlier. Cumulative placements from the week ending January 10, 2015 through September 12, 2015 for the United States were 6.37 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 :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : August 8, : August 15, : August 22, : August 29, :September 5, :September 12, : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 eggs : Alabama ......................: 29,315 27,609 27,500 28,860 28,362 28,517 Arkansas .....................: 22,068 21,521 21,858 21,573 21,936 21,641 Delaware .....................: 4,753 4,755 4,755 4,755 4,755 4,754 Florida ......................: 1,222 1,225 1,225 1,225 1,224 1,224 Georgia ......................: 33,003 33,830 33,363 33,139 32,933 32,700 Kentucky .....................: 7,801 7,987 8,072 8,008 8,030 8,189 Louisiana ....................: 3,772 3,802 3,802 3,833 3,552 3,954 Maryland .....................: 7,903 7,826 7,871 7,819 7,788 7,357 Mississippi ..................: 17,286 17,151 17,478 17,294 16,414 17,419 Missouri .....................: 8,164 8,152 8,080 8,113 8,178 8,185 : North Carolina ...............: 21,121 20,899 20,764 20,357 19,098 18,154 Oklahoma .....................: 6,558 6,571 6,942 6,495 6,248 6,668 Pennsylvania .................: 4,519 4,781 4,712 4,875 4,689 4,762 South Carolina ...............: 5,466 5,489 5,480 5,517 5,213 5,233 Texas ........................: 14,925 15,223 14,641 14,775 13,979 14,443 Virginia .....................: 6,130 6,301 6,178 6,202 6,408 6,007 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ...........: 12,233 12,027 11,546 11,551 11,331 11,091 : 19 State total ...............: 206,239 205,149 204,267 204,391 200,138 200,298 Percent of previous year .....: 100 100 99 100 99 100 : Other States .................: 8,104 7,935 7,817 7,902 7,909 7,830 : United States ................: 214,343 213,084 212,084 212,293 208,047 208,128 Percent of previous year .....: 100 100 99 100 99 100 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Broiler-Type Chicks Placed - 19 Selected States and United States: 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Week ending State :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : August 8, : August 15, : August 22, : August 29, :September 5, :September 12, : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 : 2015 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 chicks : Alabama ......................: 22,168 22,599 21,667 21,858 20,083 19,928 Arkansas .....................: 19,138 19,719 18,899 19,718 19,582 20,687 Delaware .....................: 4,876 4,815 5,093 5,478 4,665 5,087 Florida ......................: 1,159 1,190 1,144 1,195 1,469 1,141 Georgia ......................: 27,489 27,301 27,309 27,433 26,819 27,953 Kentucky .....................: 6,560 6,608 6,169 6,083 7,110 5,845 Louisiana ....................: 3,297 3,329 3,247 3,304 3,309 3,363 Maryland .....................: 6,042 5,623 6,524 6,072 6,883 6,643 Mississippi ..................: 14,639 14,483 14,975 14,598 14,613 14,702 Missouri .....................: 6,198 6,110 7,009 6,234 6,088 5,903 : North Carolina ...............: 17,063 16,880 16,615 17,070 16,612 16,948 Oklahoma .....................: 4,779 4,322 4,278 4,303 4,469 3,865 Pennsylvania .................: 3,621 3,992 3,734 3,692 4,000 3,897 South Carolina ...............: 4,608 5,387 5,263 4,040 4,818 4,283 Texas ........................: 12,166 12,171 11,779 12,071 12,531 11,834 Virginia .....................: 5,662 5,414 5,346 4,813 5,043 4,974 California, Tennessee, : and West Virginia ...........: 11,149 10,166 11,032 11,452 10,891 10,542 : 19 State total ...............: 170,614 170,109 170,083 169,414 168,985 167,595 Percent of previous year .....: 101 101 101 101 100 99 : Other States .................: 6,194 6,264 6,466 6,576 6,311 6,703 : United States ................: 176,808 176,373 176,549 175,990 175,296 174,298 Percent of previous year .....: 101 101 101 101 100 99 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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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