Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 8/11/11

USDA reported Wednesday that commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 196 million eggs in incubators during the week ending Aug. 6, down 6 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier.

Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 85 percent.

Broiler growers in the program placed 164 million chicks for meat production during the week ending Aug. 6, down 5 percent from the comparable week a year earlier.

Cumulative placements from Jan. 2 through Aug. 6 were 5.26 billion, down slightly from the same period a year earlier.

View the full report here.

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