Source: Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE, 1/19/12

Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 192 million eggs in incubators during the week ended Jan. 14, 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 162 million chicks for meat production during the week, down 4 percent from a year earlier.

Cumulative placements from Jan. 1 were 324 million, down 4 percent from the same two-week period a year earlier.

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