Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 10/27/11


Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 184 million eggs in incubators during the week ended Oct. 22, down 8 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 152 million chicks for meat production during the week, down 6 percent from a year earlier.

Cumulative placements from Jan. 2 through Oct. 22 were 7.01 billion, down 2 percent from the same period a year earlier.

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