Source: Lisa M. Keefe, MEATINGPLACE, 11/10/11

Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 187 million eggs in incubators during the week ended Nov. 5, down 6 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 19-state weekly program placed 149 million chicks for meat production during the week, down 8 percent from the comparable week a year earlier.

Cumulative placements from Jan. 2 through Nov. 5 were 7.30 billion, down 2 percent from the same period a year earlier.

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