Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 8/25/11

Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 194 million eggs in incubators during the week ended Aug. 20, down 7 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier, USDA said Wednesday.

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

Broiler growers in the program placed 162 million chicks for meat production during the same week, down 6 percent from the comparable week a year earlier.

Cumulative placements from Jan. 2 through Aug. 20 were 5.59 billion, down 1 percent from the same period a year earlier.

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