Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 11/3/11

Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 186 million eggs in incubators during the week ended Oct. 29, down 7 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier.

Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84 percent.

Broiler growers in the program placed 153 million chicks for meat production during the week, down 8 percent from the comparable week a year earlier.

Cumulative placements since Jan. 2 were 7.16 billion, down 2 percent from the same period a year earlier.

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