February 21, 2008

US broiler chicks placement up 4 percent, eggs set in incubators up 2 percent

USDA has released statistics of poultry placements and hatching chicks in the week that ended at February 16, 2008, compared to the same period a year ago.

Broiler producers placed 178 million chicks for meat production, up 4 percent on-year.

Cumulative placements from December 30, 2007 to February 16, 2008 were 1.24 billion, up 3 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Commercial hatcheries set 218 million eggs in incubators, up 2 percent on-year.

Average hatchability for chicks hatched was 83 percent, calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs three weeks ago.