Commercial hatcheries in the 19 State weekly program set 208 million eggs in incubators during the week ending March 12, 2011. This was up 1 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84 percent. Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks
earlier.
Broiler-Type Chicks Placed Up Slightly
Broiler growers in the 19 State weekly program placed 170 million chicks for meat production during the week ending March 12, 2011. Placements were up slightly from the comparable week a year earlier. Cumulative placements from January 2, 2011 through March 12, 2011 were 1.68 billion, up 1 percent from the same period a year earlier.