November 1, 2007

US broiler chick placements up 4 percent

Broiler growers in the US 19-State weekly programme placed 175 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 27, 2007. 

Placements were up 4 percent from the comparable week a year earlier.  Cumulative placements from December 31, 2006 through October 27, 2007 were 7.58 billion, up 1 percent from the same period a year earlier.

Commercial hatcheries in the 19-State weekly programme set 203 million eggs in incubators during the week ending October 27, 2007. 

This was up 5 percent from the eggs set a year earlier.

Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 83 percent.